Immortality
by gluegirl56
Summary: A strange phenomena forces Discovery out of warp and they end up in a remote sector no Starfleet officer has been to before. At least, that's what the crew believe until Pike reveals that the Enterprise charted the area two years ago. The Discovery crew doesn't understand why Pike is hesitant to revisit the system until they're drawn into a world full of secrets.
1. Nowhere Land

**Star Trek Discovery**

_Immortality_

_(previously named Lethal Substance)_

**Synopsis **

_A strange phenomena forces Discovery out of warp and they end in a remote sector no Starfleet officer has been to before. At least, that's what the crew believe until Pike reveals that the Enterprise charted the area two years ago. The Discovery crew doesn't understand why Pike is hesitant to revisit the system until they're drawn into a world of deception and deceit from which there seem to be no escape. _

OOOOOO

**Chapter One **

_Nowhere Land_

Ensign Sylvia Tilly was beginning to pant hard but she refused to see the back of her roommate for the rest of the jog around the deck. She gritted her teeth as she fell into steps with Michael and grimaced as perspiration stung in her eyes.

Commander Michael Burnham on the other hand looked like she was enjoying the challenge. Her toned muscles glistened in the dim light of the corridor as her tank top clung to her upper body. She cast a glance at her friend with a faint upward curl to her lips. "Come on Tilly," she pushed lightly. "I watched you beat everyone at the CTP marathon run."

"Yeah well, I might have been preoccupied and high on adrenaline from the start. I was being haunted by a deceased classmate, remember?" she whined miserably.

Michael stopped and leaned over to place her hands on her thighs and Tilly thankfully did the same.

"Oh, my goodness," Tilly whispered through shallow breaths.

Michael laughed amusedly and was about to tease her roommate as the ship suddenly lurched, took a sharp turn to starboard, then decelerated rapidly and came to a full stop. The lights blinked on and off above their heads as the klaxon for red alert began to sound across the deck, then everything stopped, the corridor went dark, the sound of the klaxon shut off abruptly.

Burnham grimaced and pulled her ass off the floor, trying to spot Tilly in the darkness. Then, as suddenly as it had disappeared, the lights came back on and the klaxon started to blare again. She gently reached out to offer her friend a hand up. "Are you all right?" she asked in concern.

Tilly clasped Michael's hand and grimaced as she was pulled upright. "Yeah, I think so," she managed through clenched teeth. "What was that?"

"_This is the Captain,"_ Pike's voice seemed urgent and sharp over the ship-wide communication's channel. _"All senior officers - Report to your stations immediately." _

OOOOOO

Saru took a deep breath as he gripped the back of his console and pushed himself upright. His landing had been rough as the ship had suddenly started to - wobble - for lack of a better word, and then decelerated so quickly that everything and everyone who hadn't been secured had been thrown violently to the floor. The Kelpien was working out the kinks in his back and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Pike who sat on the edge of his seat and leaned to his right. "Captain-," Saru called carefully as he watched his superior officer grimace ever so slightly. "- should I call for a doctor?"

Pike slowly pivoted the chair slightly to the right, to face the Kelpien at his station. As he did so, he placed his right arm over his chest and put his left hand on his upper right arm to hold it tight. "No," he said softly. "The doctors will have a lot of crewmen to tend to. I'm fine, commander."

The Kelpien studied him for a moment and nodded his head. "Of course, captain," he stated, although it was clear he didn't believe a word of what he was hearing.

"What is going on?" Nhan, Burnham and Tilly asked simultaneously as they stepped out of the turbolift.

"We lost warp capability," Detmer reported as she tapped away at her console. "One minute everything was fine and in the next the starboard nacelle destabilized and we veered hard to starboard; propelled by the port nacelle."

"Then we lost impulse drive," Owo explained. "A few seconds later we had a total power failure across the ship."

"We're running on the backup systems," Pike added seriously.

"What about sub-light speed?" Burnham asked curiously as she took her station.

"It might work," Detmer let on enigmatically. "But I don't recommend that we use it at the moment."

"So, we're dead in the water," Tilly deduced as she entered a series of commands on a panel behind Michael's station.

"We believe something hit us," Saru said seriously. "Something that destabilized the warp field."

"That would not explain the total blackout," Burnham pointed out.

"The longer we're delayed the more likely Leland manages to mobilize his flotilla," Pike reasoned grimly.

"He's waiting for us to come to him," Michael reasoned as the turbolift doors hissed open. "He wants the data from the sphere."

"You mean 'control'," Tyler pointed out darkly. "That thing is dangerous. It has merged with Leland and it's a fast learner."

"We need to get to our rendezvous coordinates where Number One is waiting with the _Enterprise. _Suggestions anyone?" Pike asked. "Can we use the spore drive?"

Lieutenant Nilsson hesitated. "I am not sure. The drive system is up and running again but until I know what caused the warp drive to malfunction and the ship wide power failure-," she trailed off as she called up a set of images and typed in a few commands on her console.

"Let's ask our Network navigator then," Pike said as he pushed a button on his armrest. "Engineering this is the bridge."

"_Engineering, Stamets here,"_ came the quick reply_. "What's going on up there? Reno is running around like crazy down here, making sure all the wire fires are extinguished." _

"Captain!" Tilly called eagerly. "There's a ship following us. I believe it's a Section 31 ship."

"I can confirm that, whoever it is, will drop out of warp next to us within three minutes," Michael reported seriously as she tapped away on her console.

Pike smirked unhappily. "Stamets, are you up for a little ride?" he asked.

"_I'm on my way to the hub now,"_ he said.

"Sir, there might be cascading malfunctions throughout the system-," Nilsson began to protest.

"I am aware of that but we have little choice," Pike reasoned. "If Stamets believe it's doable, we're jumping."

"_I'm ready,"_ Paul confirmed over the open channel. _"Where too?"_

Pike set his jaw. "_Enterprise's_ rendezvous coordinates," he replied.

"All hands - Black Alert," Saru called out on the ship wide channel.

A low hum suddenly manifested itself across the deck as the plates began to vibrate ever so softly and then the ship phased out from its surroundings and popped up somewhere else entirely a few seconds later.

"Report," Pike said seriously as the view screen blinked, updated itself and displayed a view no one had expected. "I don't think this is the right place."

"No sir, it's not," Detmer replied as she tried to make sense of the readings at her console.

"It would appear that we're orbiting an unknown Minshara class planet," Saru said.

"Stamets, what's happening down there?" Pike asked.

"_I don't know. I set the coordinates but the Network is not responding. Whatever it was that caused us to drop out of warp is obviously affecting this type of travel too. Give me a moment to figure out where we dropped off the grid,"_ he said.

The bridge crew shared a troubling look as the open channel grew silent.

Pike smirked. He was used to challenges during his time in deep space; not much managed to surprise him anymore. His experience of being lost or off course varied from tragedy and loss to new friends and diplomatic relations with new species.

"Commander Saru. What can you tell me about the planet?" he asked curiously.

"Stand by, captain. I am trying to get a clear picture of it."

Spock clasped his hands behind his back and walked over to the science station, as it was his natural position onboard the _Enterprise_. He gently nodded at his sister and began to study the screen. "Captain, judging by the latest scan of the surface, it appears to be a densely populated planet. The level of technology rivals that of a human society."

Pike frowned. "Scan for ships in our vicinity," he ordered quickly. "Shields up."

"Shields are up, captain," Owo reported dutifully from the ops station.

"Go to yellow alert," Pike responded.

The lights flickered and a low sound indicated that the status had changed.

"There are no other ships in the vicinity," Burnham reported and glanced at her brother in a slightly disapproving way.

Spock simply ignored her.

"I have imagery data," Saru confirmed.

All eyes turned to the main view screen. The planet appeared to be smaller than Earth, or Vulcan, and its poles seemed huge in comparison but there was still plenty of land to inhabit in a subtropical zone. The equator zone was almost as big though, creating a vast band of desert with temperatures only a Vulcan would be comfortable in. The planet was blotched with irregular specks of glimmering blue across the inhabitable zone, mixed with green vegetation.

"_Captain,"_ Stamets called from engineering. _"It appears we've ended up at the rim of the alpha quadrant. I suppose you could say that we are where no one has ever been before. At least not no Starfleet officer." _

"Display our coordinates on the main view screen," Pike ordered, looking troubled all of a sudden.

Michael couldn't help but to see the subtle, curious look that her brother directed upon his commanding officer, like they shared a secret of some kind.

"The Sobada Star System," Spock said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

Pike unconsciously clenched and unclenched his hand at the declaration. His eyes darkened for a moment as he set his jaw. "Thank you, Lieutenant Spock," he said curtly and pushed the intercom button on his armrest. "Commander Stamets, is there any way to jump away from here?"

Michael and Saru shared a look of confusion.

"_Negative, captain. I don't want to risk it until I know what happened,"_ Stamets replied_. "Correct me if I am wrong but there is no way for Section 31 to follow us here." _

"Start your diagnostic immediately," Pike said abruptly.

"Captain?" Burnham asked softly as she looked at him with concern. "Is there something wrong?"

He turned to her, his features grim, his face troubled and his stance stiff. "The _Enterprise_ has been here before, commander," he replied and turned to Saru as he made to stand. "Assemble the senior officers in my ready room immediately."

Michael raised an impeccable eyebrow and watched the captain leave the bridge. She turned to her brother. "Spock, what's going on?" she asked in confusion.

"I believe the captain will tell you in a few minutes," he replied and headed after Pike.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	2. Let the Past be the Past

**Chapter Two **

_Let the Past be the Past_

Pike stiffly positioned himself in the single seat at the end of the table, facing the wall-mouthed screen, as the rest of the senior staff filed into the room.

To his annoyance Doctor Culber took the seat closest to his left and eyed him with concern. "Is your arm troubling you, captain?" he asked kindly.

Pike managed the faintest of smiles as he looked at his CMO. "No," he said.

"The captain had a rather ungraceful fall. I am surprised should it not bother him," Spock volunteered frankly as he eyed his superior directly and sat down on Pike's right-hand side.

Michael and Saru shared a knowing smile as they filed into the seats next to the doctor and the Vulcan respectively. Nhan, Reno, Detmer and Bryce followed close behind.

Pike cunningly ignored taking the bait and instead turned to the doctor with a look of concern of his own. "Any injuries amongst the crew?" he asked softly.

"A few," Culber replied. "Doctor Pollard and Nurse Poloski are treating them as we speak. We were lucky. It could have been much worse had it happened during the day shift."

The captain glanced at the watch a noticed the late hour for the first time since the incident; twenty-three-hundred-hours.

The Alpha shift had ended several hours before. However, after everything that had happened lately, he had been reluctant to leave the bridge and go to sleep at nights. Especially today since every time he closed his eyes, he saw himself in a wheelchair; disfigured and immobilized. He had decided to linger and tonight, he hadn't been the only one. Michael and Tilly had left their stations but Saru had also stayed behind, claiming he was running some test he wanted to finish before he was to be relieved. Bryce had started a diagnostic on the communications system while Owo and Detmer claimed they needed to stay a bit longer for no apparent reason. Nilsson made no attempt to leave her station either. She seemed preoccupied with a diagnostic on the spore drive unit at her bridge station as he'd stolen a glance at her.

Pike pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure. While he appreciated their sense of duty, he couldn't help but to feel concerned for his bridge crew's bad habits; a habit most of them blamed him for. The captain sighed as he recalled a conversation with the doctor a few hours earlier. Culber was concerned for the crew as well. The fact was that they had been at it for a long time now, too long, and he feared something was about to give if they didn't manage to catch their breaths and get a little downtime.

The door swooshed open again to reveal Stamets who quickly took the last seat at the other end of the table and glared at Reno. "I'm surprised you're here," he said.

She eyed him nonchalantly and barely managed to refrain from blowing a bubble of the gum she was chewing. "You were busy playing around with your spore drive and I'm an engineer so I figured I'd offer my expertise."

"If we're all here," Pike began diplomatically as he glanced around the table.

The door opened again, this time to reveal a rather sheepish looking Ensign Tilly. She glanced down at the floor as she stopped just inside the room and wringed her hands. "I'm sorry for, kind of, barging into a meeting like this but with Bryce running a diagnostic on the com system and-,"

Pike offered her a dimpled half-smile. "Something is obviously on your mind, ensign. Why don't you take a seat and join us? Let's call it a CTP training exercise," he suggested kindly.

Tilly beamed brightly at him as she pulled up another chair to the table. She was quiet for all about two seconds before she remembered what had been on her mind and jumped up to activate the screen on the wall, connect it to the main view screen and display a set of images. "Good one, sir, I almost forgot what I came for," she said. "Earlier on the bridge you asked to scan for ships; there were none. However, as I took the liberty of scanning the atmosphere, I noticed what appeared to be arrays directed into space. I think they have means to scan their orbit but-," she glanced at him a bit nervously and noticed that he looked strained, troubled. "By the look on your face you already knew that, didn't you?" she blurted. "Anyway, it doesn't matter, what does matter though is that there is a real chance that _Discovery_ is – well - discovered."

Pike leaned forward in his chair and nodded solemnly at her before he turned his attention to Spock. "Why don't you do the honors, Spock?" he said softly yet his expression seemed guarded.

Spock nodded dutifully and called up a set of imagery data. "I do not have access to the _Enterprise's _databanks but _Discovery_ is able to tap into Starfleet's records and since I know what to look for-," he trailed off as a rather large system of seven planets, orbiting a red giant, appeared on the screen. Several coordinates, the geometry and topography of two similarly set planets and plenty of other facts were displayed. "The _Enterprise_ charted this region two years ago."

Michael looked from Pike to Spock and then back again suspiciously. "Why do I have a feeling something bad happened here?"

Spock simply ignored his sister, continuing his explanation of previous events. "The Sobada Star System has two inhabitable planets-," he pointed at the third and the fourth planet. "The inhabitants call them Sobral and Sobaya."

Saru took a moment to study his interim captain. A man he'd come to respect deeply over the last few months. Pike looked solemn, regretful somehow. To the Kelpien it appeared as if the memories from the visit two years earlier hurt him. Furthermore, Pike looked like he'd aged several years since they'd first appeared in orbit around the third planet of the system – a planet Saru now knew as Sobral.

"Sobaya is the name of the fourth planet, the larger of the two. The _Enterprise_ lay in orbit around the planet for two months, two years ago. We established a first contact with the people there only to learn of frosty relations with the inhabitants of Sobral," Spock said.

With his lips pursed into a thin line of displeasure Pike suddenly spoke up, continuing where the Vulcan had left off. "We got drawn into preparations of a war between them and ended up as a catalyst; a prelude to disaster if you may. Our hands were tied due to the Prime Directive, preventing us from taking direct actions that would change the outcome. However, when the _Enterprise_ was directly targeted by several ground stations on Sobral, I had to act," Pike said seriously.

Saru didn't like the sound of that and neither did the rest of the people occupying the room.

It was Tilly who finally, after a moment of silence, asked the question on everybody's lips. "What happened, sir? What did you do?"

Pike turned directly toward her, his blue eyes dark and steely. "I won't bother you with all the details of the mission. It's sufficient to say that when we departed Sobaya, a peace treaty between the two of them had been signed."

Tilly laughed a little nervously. "You prevented it from escalating. Wow, sir. You helped stop a war," she said with admiration.

"By the looks of things, it seems they've been successful in fulfilling their parts of the bargain. It's just that I don't know how they will react when they discover that the _Discovery_ is in orbit around Sobral. They will identify us as a member of the United Federation of Planets. Furthermore, they will recognize the design of the ship. Unfortunately, even though _Discovery_ is not a Constitution class ship, she's significantly alike the _Enterprise_ in design and function."

"I fail to see why that would be a bad thing?" Tilly blurted.

"Ensign," Spock said. "When the _Enterprise_ left, it was with a promise never to return, unless summoned again. If I am to explain their reasoning, I would say that despite their advancements and their level of technology they weren't ready to accept life from another part of the galaxy; certainly not with technology and ships more advanced."

"But you mentioned earlier that their technology rivalled that of a human society?" Saru recalled.

"Precisely, Commander Saru," Spock confirmed. "I did not say it rivalled Federation technology. Starfleet, being selected as the main science and military organization within the Federation, uses technology from Vulcan, Andoria, Earth and Tellar – all the cofounders of the Federation."

"So," Michael said. "We don't know what has happened since the _Enterprise_ left?"

"That is correct," Spock said. "To complicate things further, as the captain has already explained, we are now in orbit around Sobral and not Sobaya."

"And _Discovery_ is obviously not _Enterprise_," Reno spoke up. "Depending on their reaction, we might become a second catalyst for another war – this is why I've never liked diplomacy."

"I've noticed," Stamets quipped.

Pike shrugged. "Who knows, they might be ready to start a new war anyway. We can't interfere unless _Discovery_ is found or if we have a very good reason to reveal ourselves. Besides, time is running out back home. _Enterprise_ will be waiting for us. We should leave immediately," he said with urgency in his voice.

"I'm sorry but I have to disappoint you there, captain," Stamets said regrettably. "I still don't know what happened and I am afraid that jumping again will only get us further away from the _Enterprise_."

Reno put her arms across her chest and nodded at the screen. "I realize this suggestion won't be popular but going down to the planet might be the best thing to do at the moment," she said. "We're almost dead in the water. Do they mine dilithium?"

"Do they recognize you, sir?" Michael asked curiously.

Pike shook his head. "We never set foot on Sobral," he replied. "The only ones I talked to where a delegation of the Sobralian government – on a video feed from the Chancellor's office at Sobaya."

"Captain." Spock began seriously. "I believe it is unwise to visit the planet. As you said. It is possible that our presence here will destabilize the treaty we helped put into place."

Reno shrugged. "Or maybe they just want to hug you and hang a medal around your neck," she replied with a smirk."

"I must remind you again that we have no idea what has happened during these two years," Spock reasoned. "Neither do we know how the people of Sobaya would react to us visiting the people of Sobral."

"Wait," Tilly said. "What if we were brought here for a reason? What if the 'red angel' had anything to do with it."

"The 'red angel' claimed she didn't know anything about the signals," Spock pointed out.

"There has been no signal," Bryce pointed out. "No communication whatsoever."

"Captain, is there a reason as to why we're here?" Burnham asked curiously. "You have been here before. Is there anything here that might help us save the galaxy from the AI?"

He shook his head dejectedly. "None that I can think of at the moment," he replied. "Like I said; we should leave here immediately."

"Do they have warp capability? Detmer asked carefully.

"No," Spock answered. "They call it S'ash'ii'sh'schka; their scale goes from one to four. It is experimental at best and very unstable."

Reno frowned deeply. "I think I prefer it to be called warp speed. It's much easier to say," she drawled.

"S'ash'ii'sh-," Tilly began.

"Sounds more like someone sneezing," Reno muttered.

"Bless you," Culber offered with a half smirk.

"I'm sorry to bring some sanity to this conversation," Stamets drawled as he glanced at Reno. "Like I said; at the moment I do not dare to use the Mycelial Network. I don't want to end up in the middle of nowhere if I can prevent it."

"I understand, Commander," Pike said kindly. "What is the status of our warp capability and sub-light speed?"

Reno shrugged. "Pretty much unknown at the moment," she replied. "It's like we hit something that depleted our dilithium crystals all at once. I've never seen anything like it."

"The nacelle can be fixed within a few hours," Spock suggested. "The overload in the warp conduit caused a cascading error in the main circuit housing. That is the reason why helm is not responding the way it should."

"Unfortunately, we won't get very far with only the sub-light system up and running," Pike replied.

"That is the only thing engineering can offer at the moment," Reno added.

Michael leaned forward in her seat. "Captain, as an anthropologist I would be very interested to visit this planet and study the way they live – without exposing the _Discovery_ or the United Federation of Planets."

"Commander Burnham has a valid point, sir," Saru said. "The _Enterprise_ helped to avoid/or put an end to a war. It would be very intriguing to see what effects it has had on the local populations."

"Captain," Culber called as he leaned forward in his chair next to Saru. "I am afraid I need to rise another concern. The crew needs shore leave. They're overworked and it will only be a matter of time before it starts to show in their efficiency and performance. If we have time and opportunity, we should beam down some people to the planet while we're running the diagnostic of the spore drive and repair our warp drive."

"That would be a very unwise course of action, doctor," Spock said.

Michael turned to her brother with a dumbfounded expression. Obviously, he knew more about the people down there than he let on. She cast a glance in Pike's direction but his face was neutral; a perfect poker face.

The captain glanced around the table and then gave a faint nod. "I'll get back to you on that, doctor," he said. "Meanwhile, we'll send out a reconnaissance team. I'll get rid of my uniform and shrug into something more traditional for this world-,"

"Captain," Saru began to protest.

"Burnham, Spock and Nhan, you'll accompany me," Pike finished as he began to rise from his chair.

"Captain, I strongly recommend that you stay onboard. There is no need for you to-," Saru reasoned.

"I am curious," he interrupted simply.

"Actually, captain," Spock began seriously. "You are vital to this mission. I have to agree with Commander Saru. There is no need for you to join the landing party."

"I have a valid reason to go down there. You of all people should realize that," Pike replied softly yet there was an underlying frustration in his tone of voice.

"I, for one, need to stretch my legs. Besides none of us are made of glass," Nhan reasoned.

"It's settled then," Pike said with a dimpled smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Join me in the transporter room in fifteen minutes, same goes for Burnham and Spock. The rest of you, please, take your stations and work together to come up with a solution for our predicament."

Tilly felt her mouth go dry. She cared deeply for Michael, her roommate and friend, and she respected and valued Captain Pike's leadership. She found that she would be lost without their gentle guidance. To imagine she could lose them both at once made her stomach churn and her mood plummet as anxiety forced its way into her mind.

As if sensing the young woman's distress Pike kindly called out her name. "Ensign Tilly. I know for a fact that you can work wonders together with Commander Stamets. You're dismissed from command training with the bridge crew until this matter is solved."

She straightened and gave him a smile. "You can count on me, sir. Stamets and I will have the spore drive sorted out in no time."

He blinked at her as he passed her on his way out of the room.

OOOOOO

Saru waited patiently outside the transporter room as his superior officer appeared around the corner, clad in dark tight robe which had a surreal resemblance to the Vulcan traditional garment that Sarek used to wear. His face had been slightly altered by the magic studio, as Tilly had nicknamed the small but effective makeup and design studio, situated across the hall from sickbay. His cheekbones seemed shaded in a slight purple nuance from their highest point under his eyes and all the way into his hairline, his forehead and temples were shaded in a similar fashion. The Kelpien commander couldn't help but to startle as Pike looked back at him through bottomless purple contact lenses.

"Captain. I urge you to reconsider. Lieutenant Spock knows what happened down there as he was assigned to your ship at the time," the Kelpien reasoned. "There are several lieutenants and commanders onboard this ship but, as you very well know – only one captain."

"Saru, I appreciate your concern but no one is expendable. All people onboard this ship are valuable members of the crew. I am not above anyone else. I might have the experience of leading people, of running a ship, but several people here can manage that given the right training," he reasoned.

"And who might give those people the right training, sir?" Saru pointed out.

Pike actually chuckled at that. "I am afraid you can't change my mind, Saru, your objections are noted," he said kindly. "We'll be back shortly."

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	3. New Discoveries

**Chapter Three**

_New Discoveries _

Michael let out a faint yelp as the transporter let go of her and she literally slammed into a wall of disturbingly hot air. She glanced around the assembled away team and noticed similar uncomfortable looks.

"I think I've been without shore leave for too long to appreciate the desert heat," Pike quipped with a half-grin. "If Doctor Culber asks, I've never said that."

Michael smiled. "Of course not, sir," she replied.

"The last time we visited this system it was to the fourth planet, not the third, and it was during the winter season," Spock stated. "I too find the heat troublesome."

"You surprise me," Nhan said softly as she broke into an amused smile while she looked at the trio. "Two people from Vulcan and one raised in the desert heat of Mojave."

Spock raised an impeccable eyebrow but said nothing.

"Are you calling us wimps, Nhan?" Pike asked curiously, his tone of voice slightly teasing.

"Would never dream of that, sir," she replied mischievously.

"Perhaps I should remind you that the city of Mojave is highly artificial in terms of the climate. It was a terraforming experiment that is still running. However, step out of the engineered zone and there will be desert for miles."

Michael couldn't help but to feel a sudden spike of jealousy at the comfortable atmosphere around the rest of the away team. They seemed to be in synchronization, seemed to be able to read each other without words; knowing each other well from their service together onboard the_ Enterprise_. Suddenly she felt like she was a wildcard on this mission. She didn't know where it came from but she felt a sudden urge to prove herself.

Pike sobered yet a small smile lingered on his lips. "Now, remember what we came down here for? This is reconnaissance only. We check out the premises, try to find some way to tap into their historical archives and learn about what happened after the _Enterprise_ left," he said seriously.

"Hopefully it turns out we can have some shore leave," Nhan said as she adjusted the wrap around her neck and lower parts of her face to hide away her implants.

"According to the scans, I'd say one of the planet's largest cities lies approximately one kilometer south of our position," Pike said. "Let's go and make ourselves at home."

"At home, captain?" Spock questioned as he cautiously scanned their surroundings for any sign of trouble. "We are far from home at this point."

"An expression, lieutenant," Pike replied as he retrieved the communicator from his pocket. "Pike to _Discovery_. We're down, safe and sound, no signs of hostility."

"_Good, sir,"_ Saru's voice came over the open channel. _"I do hope it stays that way."_

Pike frowned innocently as Spock arched eyebrow at the reply from the Kelpien.

Michael broke into a careful grin as she took up position behind her brother on the trail.

"The way he said it makes me wonder," Nhan said amusedly as she walked up behind Pike to cover their six while the Vulcan began to lead the way. "I believe Commander Saru think you are accident prone captain."

Pike halted in mid-step for a moment and cast a glance over his shoulder at his Barzan security chief. "Come on Nhan," he said softly. "You've known me for several years. Besides, why would I have given him that impression?"

"I really wouldn't know, sir," she replied enigmatically.

OOOOOO

Reno sighed in frustration as she put down the hyperspanner and shook her head. She leaned into the small compartment behind an open hatch at the auxiliary circuit bay and narrowed her eyes. "You little bugger," she muttered.

"Talking to yourself is a serious sign of trouble," Stamets offered lightly as he walked past her.

Surprised, Reno jerked at the sound of his voice and hit her head on a pipe. A string of curses echoed from the small compartment as she extracted her head and turned to fix the astromycologist with a deadly glare.

"Sorry," he offered with a casual shrug.

"You're not sorry," she drawled.

"Finding anything in there?" he asked.

She grimaced. "A lot of melted stuff. Spock made it sound so easy when he reported it to the captain. It's going to take hours to get it fixed."

"You know he's Vulcan right? They don't exaggerate things, don't lie and so on. If he said it was easy to fix-," Stamets let the sentence hang in the air and smiled, knowing it would infuriate the sarcastic engineer.

Reno studied him for a moment then gave a tight smile to match his. "Mock me all you want. I am not going to fall for that one," she replied. "Why are you here by the way? Have you gotten lost on your way to the spore hub?"

"Ha ha," he replied.

"Secretly, he loves you," Tilly said to Reno with a bright smile as she walked up to them. "Actually, we need your help."

Reno crossed her arms over her chest with a frown. "I see," she replied.

Tilly leaned into the cramped space inside the hatch and let out a low whistle. "Must have been hot in here," she remarked.

"Burned out circuitry, faulty wires, my butt," Reno drawled.

"Fixed within a few hours," Stamets reminded her.

"Did you want my help or not mushroom boy?" Reno replied with a glare.

"Easy, easy," Tilly cautioned. "Look, I love you both but right now I need for you to work together and be that brilliant as only the two of you can be."

Reno sighed. "Fine, lead the way," she said softly. "What's wrong anyway?"

"I don't know," Stamets replied.

"You don't know?" Reno echoed in amazement then narrowed her eyes at him. "Maybe you haven't been feeding them properly?"

"It's spores, Reno," Stamets pointed out.

OOOOOO

Spock swatted an insect from the back of his neck with a well-practiced slap and wiped the perspiration from his forehead.

"It's beautiful," Michal said, smiling, as they entered a clearing. The city lights glimmered before them in the distance. The civilization seemed so vast she couldn't tell where it ended.

"I suppose I don't need to remind you to keep a low profile," Pike said softly with a blink toward Burnham and nodded at Spock.

"Discreet is my middle name, sir," Michael replied softly. "Observe only. I am actually going to enjoy every second of it. I can't believe I am finally able to practice in my own field."

"If you don't mind me asking," Nhan spoke up from behind. "Why did you become an anthropologist?"

Michael shrugged and made a face. "I guess I've always been fascinated by people; what they can do and how they survive. I want to understand mankind, what purpose it serves, how societies are built up-," she caught the euphoria in her voice and trailed off.

Pike watched with amusement how Michael's eyes lit up as she spoke about her field and broke into a dimpled half-grin. "By the sound of it, I think you made the right career choice," he said.

"Yes," Spock concurred as he looked up from his scanner and glanced over his shoulder. "As long as I have known Michael, she has always been curious."

She threw him a look of amazement and harrumphed slightly. "Spock has always been a bit rebellious. He surprised father by joining Starfleet instead of the Vulcan Scientific Academy," she let on.

"Well, I am glad that he did," Pike said with a smile. "He's been an exemplary officer as long as I have known him."

"Thank you, captain," the Vulcan said. "I have valued your guidance over the years."

Michael turned to Pike but couldn't read the expression on his face in the semi-darkness. Her brother didn't give praises to people unless he truly meant them. She had seen the way he looked up to Christopher Pike during the short period of time they'd both been onboard the _Discovery_ and she definitely understood why. Her interim captain was – as Admiral Cornwell had stated – the best of Starfleet. Yet he was down to earth, caring of others and based his decisions on well-grounded facts.

"We're closing in," Spock said. "I suggest that we stay silent as long as possible."

Pike nodded seriously and took the lead, the robe he was wearing indicated a man of higher status in the society. They casually made their way across the city, strolling the streets, feeling the pulse and the beat. Some people were dancing, some played music, some cocked street food which made their mouths water. A bit further away a hover car lifted from a platform and Michael looked up in the air to see several of them flying around the, now dark, night sky. There was nothing to indicate that anything was wrong, nothing that spoke of war or hostilities.

Pike and Spock had done some quick research but relied mostly on their previous knowledge from their earlier mission. Pike was relieved that both the hierarchy system and the layouts of things seemed to be similar on both worlds. The integration between them had been surprisingly low two years ago, despite their ability to use transportation.

On Sobaya, while handling the diplomatic negotiations with the chancellors, Pike had visited what had been called 'The House of Wisdom'. It was a huge archive which stored every part of the history ever written down, one way or another, of the planet. Some of it was on public display while other parts of it remained hidden or otherwise stored deep underground in the maze of corridors that constituted the basement.

Pike also knew that the place had been heavily guarded and only open at daily hours. Access to the archive could be gained by purchasing tickets or by using a personalized chip that activated a shifting device. The captain smirked at the memory of standing next to it on Sobaya, hesitating to step onto the small platform, wondering if he'd get out of it alive. The chancellor had been amused by his reaction, especially since he had beamed down from the_ Enterprise_ directly into the building then. The chancellor had pointed out that he himself had used similar, even more advanced, technology to travel through space. 'Precisely' Pike had thought – stable advanced technology.

This time it had been decided that the away team was to scout around and see if they could force their way in somehow and if they deemed it impossible, they would leave and come back at regular hours with fake tickets.

Pike was sure that Starfleet Command would object to this method of obtaining the information but the senior officers onboard the _Discovery_ had all agreed that it was the safest way to approach their somewhat tricky predicament. If they managed to find the information that they were seeking, they could adapt their approach to the people on the alien planet.

The captain would have thought the easiest way would have been to quietly break orbit and leave, even though they wouldn't get very far. He would perhaps even have preferred hailing them directly and let them know why they'd showed up, but then again, when he'd contemplated that, he'd also seen risks involved. By enlightening the Sobralians about the _Discovery's_ precarious situation they might get the idea to cease the ship. If that happened everything would be lost; everything they'd fought for the last couple of months.

Nhan casually strode up the pompous stair to the main entrance and shook her head slightly as she stepped down again. The place was locked up for the night. Not that it came as a total surprise but it was still a bit disappointing.

Pike responded by a giving a small nod toward a side street. The four of them walked down the lane and zig-zagged through the city until they arrived at the outskirts. It had taken them a little over three hours all in all.

Michael marveled over the culture; the richness of the music, food and those kinds of things. The clothing, the classes in what had first appeared as a matriarchal society with several degrees of wealth. She had this feeling – her gentle and caring foster mother had called it a hunch – she couldn't put her finger on it but there was something strange going on around here. She eyed her brother curiously as he walked before her, a tricorder in hand. She uttered one word, the word they'd all agreed on. "Talk," she said.

Spock stopped, arched an eyebrow and turned around to face his little sister. He said nothing at first, instead he turned to Pike who had been walking before him. The captain in turn cast a questioning look at their chief of security who nodded.

"I am reading no interference on any channels and with the jamming device on, they shouldn't be able to pick up our voices," she reported.

"Good," Pike said softly.

"Captain," Michael began curiously. "I am finding it hard to believe that these people wouldn't understand our predicament. They seem enlightened, they have technology-, what I am trying to say is; we should announce our presence here."

"No, Michael," Spock said, his voice even but his tone sharp.

She sighed and turned to their common superior officer. "Captain, from what you've told us so far, they know about the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet. If you told them that much, they'd also understand that it would be a natural step for Starfleet to follow up on the events that occurred here two years ago," she reasoned.

Spock studied his sister for a moment, he looked skeptical. "Did you not hear what I said to Ensign Tilly at the briefing? The _Enterprise_ left with a promise never to return, unless summoned again. They would see it as a provocation from our side-,"

"Let's just say that they didn't exactly greet us with open arms," Pike interrupted smoothly. "While they do believe in life elsewhere in the universe, they are not necessarily open-minded."

"It was only due to the captain's diplomatic skills that they finally started to listen," Spock revealed.

Pike pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure and something dark clouded his eyes for a moment as he pressed on toward the transporter coordinates. "That and three photon torpedoes," he said in a subdued voice which Michael had to strain her ears to even hear.

By the little giveaways she'd gotten, it was with appalling clarity that Burnham realized that Pike had had to go out of his way to save the _Enterprise_ and his crew and, while doing so, he had had to sacrifice innocent lives down on the planet. It was a dilemma every starship captain could face and had to be prepared for. However, Michael had gotten to know Christopher Pike better and better over the last few months and she knew, given his soft and warm personality, it couldn't have been easy on him. She had a distinct feeling that a part of him had died that day too.

Nhan gently put a hand on his shoulder. "Captain, there was no other way, we all knew that, we all respected and trusted your judgement," she said softly.

"There was only one logical option available," Spock concurred.

"Captain," Nhan cautioned suddenly. "I'm reading multiple life-signs coming our way."

"That's it," he stated darkly. "We're out of here."

Michael took one last glance at the large city in the valley, mesmerized by its size and intricate design. "Captain, I have to ask," she began, her voice no more than a whisper. "Why where they at the brink of war?"

Pike shook his head. "There is no easy answer to such a complex question," he replied.

"I am triangulating our position," Spock called from behind them, scanner in hand. "Our safest route to the transport zone should be this way."

They heard a branch snap not too far away.

"I am afraid we can't wait for that," Pike whispered as he freed his communicator from his belt.

"Danger, Starfleet," a voice called suddenly.

Pike jerked in surprise but flipped the small gadget open.

Something reflected off of a tree in the sharp moonlight, not too far off to her right, and Michael reacted instantly, without proper time to think. The image of Philippa Georgiou was resurfacing, the Klingon killing her commanding officer in front of her. She refused to let the same thing happen again. She launched herself at Pike as projectiles sizzled through the air. Michael smiled with a mixture of relief and bitterness as she felt the impact of bullets; felt them hitting her, drilling into her body in at least two separate places. Her body shuddered with the shock as they ripped her flesh and tore ligaments and tendons, damaging tissue and organs. None of that mattered to her at the moment – the important thing was that she'd managed to save her captain this time.

Christopher Pike grimaced in surprise as Burnham threw him to the ground, the communicator flying from his hand. He heard the sickening sound of bullets impacting flesh and he felt a stinging sensation on his left side and hissed on a breath as he felt a sharp prickle in his left upper arm. He collapsed on the ground with Michael Burnham on top of him. He heard, rather than saw, Spock call for an emergency beam out.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	4. Life and Death

**Chapter Four**

_Life and Death _

Tracy and Hugh shared a look of concern as the landing party materialized in heap on the transporter pad. Spock quickly got up from his position, huddled next to his captain and sister, to let the doctors and orderlies work. As they gently lifted a lifeless Michael Burnham off of Pike, Spock felt a lump forming in his stomach and forced his feelings of concern and despair away. He had to approach this logically or he would not survive this. If he allowed himself to feel it would be too intense for him to deal with because he cared deeply for the two people who lay injured before him in different ways.

He thrusted his tricorder into Nhan's capable hands who nodded curtly in understanding as she took off in a jog towards the bridge with their scans.

"Commander?" Hugh called out softly a he began a visual examination of her and ran the tricorder over her bloodied back. He didn't need it to understand that her condition was precarious and dire as blood oozed out of the two bullet holes; one just below her ribcage and one between her shoulder blades.

"Michael!" he said loudly.

There was no response. He shook his head and turned to Tracy. "We need to act fast," he said darkly and nodded at the orderlies to gently place her on the awaiting gurney.

Pike gingerly propped himself up on an elbow and grimaced, his eyes on his science officer. "You have to save her," he said seriously yet his voice seemed strained and was no higher than a whisper.

Culber nodded and forced a faint smile to his lips. "I'll do what I can captain, I promise," he said as he took off after the gurney.

Pike was so troubled and, at the same time, annoyed at Michael's actions that he didn't notice Doctor Pollard sitting down at his side. The medical tricorder chirped loudly, flashing red, as it recorded damage to his skin, tissue and rib on his left side and then the injury on his arm.

He jerked as he was brought back from his stupor and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head a little to look straight into the worried eyes of the doctor next to him.

"Captain," she acknowledged softly yet her voice held little room for argument from his part. "You're a very lucky man _but_ you're injured. I need you to come with me to sickbay so I can treat your wounds."

He looked at her dumbfounded for a moment, trying to clear his mind and recall what had happened. Then he stared down his side and sleeve of his robe; taking notice of holes through the fabric and bloodstained patches. "I'm fine, doctor," he finally managed in clipped tones.

He noticed someone else standing next to him with an unreadable expression on his face and realized that Spock was still in the room. "Spock, why are you still here?" he asked incredulously. "You should get down to sickbay and see to your sister."

"I assure you, captain my involvement is not necessary. I would only be in the way," he said simply.

That statement finally sent the usually composed and gentle captain off the edge. "Damnit, Spock. What is wrong with you?" he said through clenched teeth, his voice low and cold. "Both of you. When are you going to stop your self-sacrificing acts and save yourselves-",

"If you really want that, captain, you should stop setting such bad examples for the rest of us," Spock interrupted seriously as he offered his captain a hand up. "What Michael did may have been reckless but she did it to save your life."

Pike tilted his head upwards to take a good look at his Vulcan science officer and grabbed hold of his outstretched hand. A sudden dizzy-spell threatened to bring him to his knees and he staggered as he got to his feet. Had Spock not steadied him he would have fallen flat on his face.

He felt both Doctor Pollard's hands on his shoulder and blinked in surprise.

"That's it," she remarked sternly. "Spock, help me get him onto the gurney."

"No," Pike protested weakly as he felt his body beginning to shut down, he fought to stay conscious but knew it would only be a matter of time before he lost and had to give in to the darkness that tugged at the corner of his vision.

"Captain," Doctor Pollard called in alarm.

"I'm fine," Pike insisted with his eyes closed yet he let himself be taken to the gurney and he didn't protest when Spock gently lifted his feet over the edge.

"Captain, it is clear that you're not," the Vulcan said and managed to sound admonishing. "It must be-"

Pike finally gave in to the darkness and Spock's words were drowned out into a nothingness.

"What is happening Doctor Pollard?" Spock inquired.

"I cannot say for sure but I'm detecting some kind of unknown tranquilizer agent in his system."

"Fascinating," he remarked.

Pollard openly stared at him for a moment, then shook her head, the look on her face priceless.

"Think about it, doctor," he reasoned. "The projectiles where meant to kill, where they not? Would it not be more humane to add a tranquilizer that makes sure the animal is incapacitated?"

"May I remind you, Lieutenant Spock, that you're comparing your captain with a tiger?"

He leveled his eyes with Tracy's but he ignored her statement. Instead he asked; "Do you believe, doctor, that the captain is in danger?" he asked carefully.

"This isn't the time for speculation, Spock," she replied darkly as they rushed the captain into the turbolift.

OOOOOO

Culber cursed under his breath as he removed the bullet. It had inflicted severe damages and, even with twenty-third-century medical technology, it would take some time before she would be back on her feet. The tissue could be stimulated to grow and the skin regenerated but the organ damage was another thing, plus the shock to the body. There was nothing that could be done about shock, it was a natural response from the body in order to save itself from further harm.

Then there was this strange tranquilizing agent in her system that seemed unpredictable at best. He'd felt like some third-class doctor from the early century when he'd began to operate without giving her an anesthetic but he didn't want to mix the tranquilizer with their own type of anesthetic. Culber simply didn't know how Burnham would react to that. Truth was, he had enough to worry about when it came to her condition as it was.

Culber sighed as he threw the gloves in the bin and removed his chaperon. He wearily ran a hand through his short hair and sighed. He took one last look at the petite yet strong woman on the bed before him, checked her vitals again and smirked. "Come on Michael, fight this," he said softly.

He took a deep breath and walked out of the small operating theatre and into the main sickbay. He spotted his colleague standing next to the captain with a worried look on her face. Pike seemed to be stable, he was dressed in a standard gown and covered with a thin blanket.

Tracy looked up from her patient as her colleague came to stand on the other side of the bed. "How is he?" he asked kindly.

Pollard let out a deep sigh and shook her head slowly. "He's stable. I have sealed the wound on his arm. The stray bullet that first hit Commander Burnham and then the captain pinged off – for lack of a better word – one of his ribs. It cracked it and tore off a small fragment that could easily have damaged the lung if it had been left unattended but I got it out without trouble; the incision will heal within an hour."

Culber nodded thoughtfully. "I think Captain Pike have damaged his ribs on several occasions. Usually bone heals to become even harder over time but with a bone regenerator some parts can be weakened, the healing process being too quick. I did a paper on that a while ago," he said.

"I am keeping tabs on that tranquilizer but the result of the analysis hasn't gotten back to me yet," Tracy explained. "I had hoped he'd been awake by now."

Commander Burnham must have thrown herself in front of him; to shield him from harm." Hugh reasoned as he looked from the captain to his colleague and then back again.

Pollard nodded. "You know, I've never before seen him angry. He's always calm and composed, even under great duress. I would not go as far as to say he was furious but he was very unpleased by Michael's actions. He asked Spock when they'd stop their self-sacrificing acts and save themselves instead," Tracy's lips twitched upwards as she continued. "As to which the Vulcan calmly replied that they´d do that when their captain stopped setting such bad examples for them."

Culber chuckled, unable to help himself. "Touché," he said.

They shared an amused smile and then relief as Pike slowly moved his head a little.

"Captain, can you hear me?" Tracy asked softly as she quickly checked the monitor above his head.

Pike blinked drowsily and let out a quivering breath as he looked from Pollard to Culber and then back again. "Okay, this is a bad sign," he whispered.

"What is, captain?" Hugh asked carefully.

"To have two doctors hovering at my side," he answered as his lips twitched faintly upwards.

"Welcome back, captain," Tracy said kindly. "How are you feeling?"

He grimaced and started to prop himself up on one elbow.

"No, no," Culber protested as he gently pushed his superior officer back down on the bed. "You need to lie still."

"Michael, Spock, Nhan?" he asked hoarsely. "Please tell me they're okay."

"Here's the deal," Tracy began seriously as she stabbed a finger at his chest. "You lay back and relax and we'll fill you in on their condition."

He closed his eyes for a moment and nodded. His stomach was churning, his head spinning and it felt like his skin was on fire.

"Spock is doing fine. He hasn't even got a scratch. Nhan is on the bridge with Saru for a debriefing and Michael's condition is stable at the moment. I've managed to remove the bullet inside her, there was only one, the other had passed right through her and, if I am to guess, it struck your arm on its way out," Doctor Culber explained.

"Now, both of you have some kind of unknown substance in your bloodstream. We're processing it now but it's too early to say what it is and how it should be properly treated," Hugh finished.

Pike nodded, opened his eyes again, tilted his head and saw Michael at the back of the room; in one of the ICU beds. She was unnaturally still, her complexion ashen and clammy. The faint sound of an alarm brought his attention back to the doctors at his bedside and he noticed with confusion that the alarm signal didn't come from Michael's bed but his own.

"I need to speak with Spock, Nhan and Saru," he whispered as he fought to stay awake.

"When you get better," Doctor Pollard said.

Pike gritted his teeth. "It's important," he reasoned. "Please, call them here."

The doctors shared a look of concern, both of them knowing what protocol stated; the captain should rest and recuperate. He was not to be considered their superior officer but their patient and as such he should abide to their rules. However, they also knew that the situation in itself was unique and surely, Starfleet's flagship captain wouldn't say it was important if it wasn't.

Doctor Culber sighed, it was his decision to make as the CMO of _Discovery_. Would he endanger the life of his interim captain if he allowed the meeting? Hugh decided he didn't. "Very well, sir," he finally said.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	5. Starfleet

**Chapter Five**

_Starfleet _

Commander Saru looked grim as he entered sickbay together with a nervous looking Ensign Tilly and a stoic Vulcan science officer. Nhan and Reno walked in to join the others a moment later.

"Doctor Culber, Doctor Pollard," the Kelpien acknowledged politely as he glanced around the room in search for Captain Pike and Commander Burnham.

"This way," Hugh offered as they began to walk further into the room.

Tilly gasped as she spotted Michael, her complexion pale and gloomy, lying unnaturally still on a biobed.

"Don't you worry, Ensign Tilly," Doctor Pollard stated as she followed her gaze. "Commander Burnham is stable."

"Oh, thank goodness," the younger woman mumbled in a subdued voice.

However, Tilly didn't have time to mull over her friend's condition as they neared the captain's bed. She suddenly wondered if he would be displeased that she was tagging along – actually – she corrected herself, Commander Saru had wanted her to come. Tilly straightened as she stepped up next to her superior officer while nervously intertwining her hands in front of her, taking in his pale appearance, his slightly tousled hair and the gown he was wearing. For a moment she was unable to take her eyes off of him. He looked vulnerable, without his uniform, propped up in a bed – she suddenly felt a blush creep over her cheeks – it felt so informal, so strange seeing him like this.

"Captain," Spock acknowledged.

"Sir," Saru stated seriously.

Nhan only gave a faint nod with a slight upward curl to her lips.

Pike broke into a faint but cunning, dimpled smile. "The last time I saw all of you so serious and troubled must have been at Commander Airiam's funeral," he noted.

Tilly guffawed at that and noticed Saru's condemning look in her direction. She harrumphed and sobered. "I'm sorry, sir," she said softly.

"It is good to see that you're well, all things considered, captain," Nhan said warmly.

"I don't know, commander, I think the good doctor to your right has something to say about that," he offered smoothly.

Culber smirked as he cautiously cast an eye at the monitor behind the captain's head. "There is an unknown substance in Captain Pike's blood, Commander Burnham's too," the doctor explained. "As long as it is there it needs to be monitored."

"Now that all the pleasantries are done, shall we get down to business?" Reno asked sarcastically yet it was with a twinkle in her eye.

Pike nodded. "I take it I wasn't the only one who heard the calling just before the shots rang out?" he asked seriously.

"No," Nhan confirmed. "I heard it too."

"Heard what exactly?" Saru asked curiously.

"The exact words would be, Spock recited, 'Danger, Starfleet'."

"Wow, wait a minute," Tilly protested. "There is no way they knew you were Starfleet officers. You had makeup, robes and everything – the perfect disguise."

"It would seem that their systems are far more advanced than we gave them credit for," Reno muttered. "It is just like you feared, captain, they have identified this vessel as a Starfleet ship."

"The interesting part in this would be whether or not they knew who they fired upon," Spock pointed out.

Nhan shook her head. "No, they would have called the captain by name if they had known," she reasoned.

"That rises another question," Reno said. "Why did they target the landing party and why the lethal force?"

"They obviously didn't like the treaty," Spock offered with an arched eyebrow.

"You know, if you weren't so darn serious, that would have been funny," Reno drawled as she glanced at Spock.

"I suppose the cat is out of the proverbial bag," Pike reasoned. "By not announcing our presence here we are only going to make matters worse."

"I cannot agree more," Spock concurred evenly. "However, I must caution you, captain. It is likely that we have already aroused suspicion. There is no telling what would happen when we hail the planet."

"Commander Saru," Pike called. "I do know that you are considered to be a First Contact Specialist and given your background as an anthropologist, such as Commander Burnham, and also your own journey from Kaminar, I'd like you to assist."

"Certainly, that would be my pleasure, captain," he said kindly as he bowed his head slightly.

Doctor Culber frowned. "Just to clarify things a bit," he began as he focused on his superior officer. "Captain Pike is not allowed to go anywhere at the moment. I'd rather see that Commander Saru handled the presentation, or negotiations, or whatever is required of us."

Pike met the doctor's eyes steely. "There are things that we need to discuss, things connected to a previous mission that must be considered here," he explained, his tone of voice soft but commanding at the same time.

"Captain, I can be of assistance," Spock offered.

Saru nodded. "May I suggest that Lieutenant Spock and I go through everything, then come back to brief you, sir?" he asked diplomatically.

Pike reluctantly nodded.

"We will all assist in every way we can," Nhan assured him. "I believe you should rest for a while, sir."

He pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure but didn't protest. "Dismissed," he said.

Doctor Culber lingered, making sure his vitals stayed within acceptable parameters as the others filed out of the room. "I am glad you seem to have come to your senses," he said softly.

"Doctor, I can't ask of my crew what I can't do myself and this is quite frankly my problem," he reasoned.

Hugh looked from the display of the vital signs to the man they belonged to. "Captain Pike, I know we haven't known each other that long but I've come to like and respect you. I have always seen you as levelheaded, kind and caring of others. Perhaps, sir, you could consider giving me the benefit of a doubt? Perhaps you can trust and respect me the way I trust you?"

The stubbornness seemed to leave the captain at once and he sighed with dejection as his shoulders slumped. He closed his eyes briefly and swallowed. "I do respect you and your profession, Doctor Culber, but I need to see to the safety of my crew and I can't do that from a biobed. The people under my command should always come first."

Hugh gently placed a hand on Pike's shoulder in an effort to comfort him. "Captain, don't you understand? We want to protect you and take care of you just as much as you want to keep us safe and sound. Michael wanted to trade her life for yours. She made that decision."

"She made a bad decision," Pike managed with a half-smirk.

"Maybe she was influenced by someone else's actions of saving a young child a few months ago?" Culber guessed seriously.

Pike raised his head to level his eyes with the doctor's – dull and pain-filled blue meeting soft brown. "Is that your way of telling me that I'm setting bad examples for the crew?" he replied.

"I give my life for you; you give your life for me," Culber recited with a faint somber smile. "I know you enough to know that you meant what you said, captain. And I think you know Michael enough by now to know that she would honor those words."

To that Pike said nothing.

"Now, I know you want to take charge but, please, let me do my job and make sure – really sure – that you are up to do your job without endangering your life," he reasoned kindly.

Pike couldn't help but to marvel over the doctor's tactics. Instead of a direct approach like his friend and CMO onboard the _Enterprise_, Doctor Culber was actually trying to make him see reason with explanations, appealing to his own intellect. The man was kind and caring, soft-spoken and warm but the captain was old enough to know that Doctor Culber had just as much authority over him while he was confined to sickbay as any other doctor.

There was a moment of silence passing between them before the good doctor spoke up again. "Tell me, captain, I am curious; Is self-sacrificing behavior a preamble for entering Starfleet Command?"

"I'm staying put," Pike assured him with a dimpled smirk. "Is there any chance I can get a data tablet?"

OOOOOO

"Okay," Tilly said as she slid into a chair at a large conference rom adjacent to the bridge. She locked her fingers together, turned them inside out and straightened her arms forward. She proceeded to work out the kinks in her back and sigh before she began to pop her finger joints – one by one.

"Would you stop that," Reno whined as she turned away from the screen mouthed at the wall to glared at the ensign. "I hate that, can't you bite your nails or something – anything – just stop doing that."

Spock strode gracefully into the room with a tablet in hand, failing to notice the way Reno's hands rested on her hips, her entire stance annoyed while Tilly looked very innocent.

"Commander Reno, have you been able to deduce anything from the data collected by the sphere archive?" Spock asked.

"Actually, I don't think the _sphere_ has been_ here_," she replied and barely managed to refrain from rolling her eyes at the rhyme.

"We have been at it for hours, skimming through it," Tilly added. "But to dig deeper into the archive would take hours, days, weeks; possibly even months."

The Vulcan nodded. "We will have to make due with the knowledge Captain Pike, Commander Nhan and myself have collected during the mission the _Enterprise_ conducted two years ago then," he summarized.

"Lieutenant Spock," Tilly began curiously. "If you don't mind me asking, why did they tell you to leave? Did you not help them? I mean, even though they didn't want your help at the beginning they must have understood that it was essential in stopping an outbreak of war between the two planets?"

"Not everyone we make first contact with would want to acknowledge that there is something more, someone else, out there in the universe," he replied evenly. "Their perspective was tied to their planet; their rights, and their neighboring planet was – to phrase a human ambassador – meddling in their business."

"_Bridge to Conference Room Two,"_ Saru called over the intercom.

"Conference Room Two, go ahead," Reno spoke up.

"_Have you found anything of value?"_ the acting captain asked curiously.

"Nope," she replied.

"_I see,"_ Saru said. _"Then I'll have to make do with the information we have. I had hoped there would have been something we could have used." _

"Commander Saru, it's Lieutenant Spock here. I have put together a summary of what we talked about earlier. I also have the declassified parts of the reports from the previous mission at hand. I am ready to talk to Captain Pike and share our thoughts with him before we take the next step."

"_Good lieutenant, please meet me outside sickbay within the next ten minutes. Bridge out." _

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	6. Briefing

**Chapter Six**

_Briefing _

A young nurse couldn't help but to smile at the captain who'd fallen asleep with a data tablet on his chest; his hand draped over it. She hesitated at first, not sure whether she was going to disturb him more or less if she picked it up and sat it aside. In the end, she decided to gently extricate the digital display from his soft grip. Despite his condition she had almost expected those sparkling blue eyes to open at any moment but to her disappointment they remained closed. The nurse studied his vitals and frowned as she saw Doctor Culber in her periphery vision, making his way across the room toward her. The CMO looked troubled as their eyes met and after a quick look at the display above and behind Pike's biobed he shook his head.

"Doctor Culber," she began carefully, in a subdued voice. "What is wrong with him?"

"I'm just tired," the captain whispered to their surprise.

Hugh did a double take at the readings and frowned. The tranquilizing effect was wearing off but there were still parameters that didn't fall into the normal range of a human being. For example, the saturation of the blood was off and it looked like an infection was developing, the body temperature was beginning to rise above normal. They had crossmatched for every regular type of poison currently used by assassins throughout the Federation but had found no match.

The doctor carefully studied his superior officer as Pike gradually came to awareness. The seasoned captain was pretty good at putting on a show, a façade that masked his true feelings when he wanted to. Pike was easygoing, kind and caring for his staff, but he was also stubborn and cunning when it came to downplaying his own fears and injuries.

"I think you should let me be the judge of that, sir," Culber reasoned softly.

"I am sorry if I awoke you, sir," the nurse said sheepishly. "I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable."

"It's all right," Pike replied kindly.

Culber motioned for the tablet and the nurse handed it over but Pike didn't seem to care about it as he tilted his head to get a clear picture of Michael across the room. "How's Commander Burnham?" he asked with concern. "Any improvement?"

"She's stable. I have repaired most of the damages done by the bullets but it will take a few days given the extent of her injuries before she's allowed to move around. I had to do some extensive repair work that needs to heal properly," he explained.

The captain let out a sigh of relief at the assurances from the doctor that his science officer would make a full recovery.

"Unfortunately, she is weakened by this unknown substance in her bloodwork. At the moment I have no idea how much that will affect or setback her recovery," he added.

Pike stiffened at that as he broke his gaze at Michael to turn to face the CMO instead. "Have you been able to search the medical database?" he asked.

Hugh nodded sadly. "I've had the whole team going through old reports of diseases, substances that causes similar symptoms, but at the moment we're still at first base," he explained.

"The medical, botanical and zoological department took several scans while on Sobaya. I also know that Phil – Doctor Boyce – took samples of a few natives. The Chancellor marveled over their resistance for diseases in the modern society and wondered why," he said.

"Good thinking. I'll search specifically for those reports," the doctor commended, then appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Captain, during your last visit to the Sobada Star System, did you send down many landing parties?"

"No, I didn't want to risk further conflict on the surface and I didn't want to get our people directly involved. It was a handful of people who set foot on Sobaya. It was myself, Lieutenant Spock, Commander Nhan, my XO, Doctor Boyce, Lieutenant Nicola, Ensign McCourt and a few specialists."

"Did any of you develop any symptoms then?" The doctor asked.

Pike shook his head. "No," he said tiredly.

The _Discovery's_ CMO frowned as the door to sickbay slid open to reveal Commander Saru and Lieutenant Spock. The pair headed directly toward them.

"What have you found out?" Pike asked curiously.

"Nothing helpful I am afraid," Saru replied. "Permission to hail the planet and establish contact?"

The captain sighed. "I am under the impression that we are in need of dilithium crystals to get on our way, unless Commander Stamets can be persuaded to jump away from here. Commander Reno believes we might have rammed an energy barrier of some kind. That barrier seems to be giving Commander Stamets trouble when navigating, what he calls, blind spots in the Mycelial Network. Have I interpreted things correctly?" he asked, summarizing from the reports he'd been studying.

"I think I'll have a word with Paul and Jett about filling you in while you're ordered to rest and recuperate," Hugh said disappointedly. "And I'll be more restrictive when it comes to lend you data tablets. You have been reading up, studied and acted as a sounding board for several officers the last couple of hours. Captain, you're not on duty."

"Go ahead, Commander," Pike said softly. "You have my permission to make first contact with the Sobralians."

"Thank you, sir," he said and nodded at the others while he turned on his heels to leave the room.

"Captain, I would suggest that you _do_ rest so that you can return to duty as soon as possible," Spock reasoned as he turned to leave and follow the Kelpien to the bridge.

OOOOOO

"Holy smokes," Tilly blurted as she looked intently at the screen situated at the back of the large engineering section.

The recording she was watching was a loop so she watched the scene again and again but it was so fascinating that she couldn't take her eyes off of it. At first there was nothing but a dark void but then as the magnification crept closer to phenomena, she could see a faint shift in color. It went from dark blue, dark green, then purple, pink – the whole spectra of light that the human eye is capable of seeing. It looked like what could be best described as a belt that crossed through space, loaded with particles that created a tremendous energy. The now illuminated belt had practically fed on _Discovery_ as they came across it and drained the dilithium crystals of the warp core, short circuited several systems and created a total blackout for nearly thirty seconds.

"That is so cool," Tilly marveled.

Reno huffed, having seen a little too much of strange phenomenon through her active years in the service. "It's when coming across things like that the shit hits the fan," she drawled sarcastically. "I wouldn't be surprised if the _Buran_ was close to something like that when the transporter shifted Captain Lorca into that creepy mirror universe.

Tilly shuddered. "Okay, note to self – don't use the transporter right now," she said.

Reno shook her head. "Nah, it wouldn't affect us at this distance. The Sobada region is safe but we might want to give a little warning to others passing through space around it," she reasoned.

"What causes it?" the ensign asked curiously.

"I don't know, honey," Reno answered. "We'd better put a team on that but I don't think we can solve it on our own. We might be able to give Starfleet HQ an inkling of what it is so that some poor souls on a smaller science vessel can get a new mission."

Tilly clasped her hands in excitement. "Shall we report this to Commander Saru?" she wondered eagerly. "Or do you want me to start with the calculations; see if it has a stable position or if it moves around? Maybe it even shifts through time? I can call Commander Stamets-,"

"Tilly, Tilly," Reno began and shook her head, not sure if she should be annoyed or amused. "Eagerness is good, wanting to solve things is good, but running around like some dog, wagging its tail, searching for a bone, is not."

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly. "I got a bit carried away."

OOOOOO

She was having those strange dreams in which she was being touched by an angel – a red angel. It hovered above her; watched her curiously. She felt a sudden loss; a sudden longing as she recalled her mother being taken away from her, drawn through time and place without her suit.

She stared mesmerized at the red angel before her, trying to see through the faceplate of the helmet but it was obscured. She carefully reached out to rub the palm of her hand against it. The metallic surface was cold to touch and, as the picture became clearer, it was not only the metal that felt cold. The revelation should not have surprised her given what Doctor Culber had told them earlier; that there was a match to her as well as her mother, but as she stared at her own face through the suit, she felt her legs go weak, they seemed unable to carry her any longer. Michael Burnham collapsed in a heap on the ground before the red angel and stared up at the soft brown eyes of herself one more time.

"No," she whispered. "No."

"Hush, Michael," a kind and gentle voice said softly. "It's all right."

Awareness came to her slowly, fading into existence. She recognized the sound of faint voices, of noise in the background and the smell of antiseptics. As she tilted her head a little to the side, she saw Ash looking down at her with a faint, hopeful smile on his face.

She summoned what little energy she had and returned the smile. "Ash," she breathed with relief, her voice a little raspy.

He quickly got her a glass of water. "Here, drink this. I'll help you," he encouraged.

She gladly accepted his offer and he carefully helped her lean forward slightly so that she could take a sip of the water. He steadied her trembling hand while holding the glass.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"I should go and let Doctor Culber know you're awake," he reasoned yet he was hesitant to leave her.

"What happened?" she asked, confusion evident on her face as she glanced around the room. Her memory was sketchy at best but she knew she ought to be looking for someone, to make sure-. Her train of thought ended abruptly as she remembered the ambush. She pushed herself up into a, half-lying, half-sitting position and felt Tyler's hands on her shoulders, trying to gently guide her back to a flat position again. "Where is Captain Pike?" she croaked worriedly as she didn't see him around.

"He's all right, Michael," Hugh said kindly as he appeared next to her, having been alerted by an alarm. "Please, lay back down. I've done some wonderful handiwork on you and I'd hate for it to be ruined."

She frowned, not really comprehending what he meant, then she remembered the stinging pain and then the shock as bullets ripped through her skin. She shuddered as she remembered the blood, her blood, seeping out, slowly sending her to her death.

"You're going to be fine, Michael," Hugh assured her kindly. "I just need for you to rest and be still so you can recuperate."

Tyler cast a careful disapproving glance at the CMO, knowing he didn't tell her the whole truth. Culber in turn shook his head faintly, deeming it unnecessary to create further anxiety to an already distressed patient.

"And Captain Pike is going to be fine too, thanks to you," The doctor informed with a smile as he moved to the side so that she could see her superior officer resting comfortably on another biobed further down the length of the room.

She allowed herself to be gently lowered back into the flat position on the bed and breathed a sigh of relief, her lips curling cautiously upwards as she closed her eyes.

Hugh nodded at Tyler to follow him and give the healing woman some space but the agent shook his head and remained at her bedside. "I'll stay here," he mouthed.

Culber relented, seeing the worry in his eyes. He was still a little weary of the man after being murdered by him almost a year earlier. He didn't know if he'd ever trust Ash Tyler again even though every scan indicated that the Klingon Voq had finally left the human alone. To Hugh there would always be an edge to Tyler; a liability which he could understand but not fully accept – at least not yet.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	7. Choices

**Chapter Seven**

_Choices _

Lieutenant Keyla Detmer let out an exasperated sigh as she studied the length of burned out wires at the helm. Her augmented eyesight was superior when it came to detecting variances and faults but what she saw was depressing and would take hours, if not days, to fix.

"That's a cheerful look," Owo remarked as she looked down at her colleague from her position at the ops.

Detmer snorted lightly and rolled her eyes. "Come take a look and you'd understand why," she said.

"A mess, huh?" Owo deduced as she tapped away at her console, trying to run a diagnostic. "I sort of get that from the many failure reports over here."

"I don't get it?" the pilot mused. "I mean, how could it just appear like that and how could it snag us?"

"You mean feed on us?" Owo asked curiously. "Because in my mind that's exactly what it did. It wanted a snack and drained us of energy.

"I wonder how _Discovery_ tastes?" Rhys pondered from across the bridge.

"You're just hungry," Nilsson spoke up from behind her panel. "Go and grab a bite in the mess hall. But don't bite on the bulkheads."

"Okay, as the most senior officer present. I'd say we should end this lovely but insane discussion and concentrate at matters at hand," Detmer said.

"I don't know, Keyla," Owo teased. "I think you started it."

OOOOOO

Commander Saru experienced a sense of nervousness he couldn't explain. He put his hand to the back of his neck as if to calm his ganglia but he'd lost them over two months ago. He had taken command over_ Discovery_ before, acting as her captain during the mission to the Klingon homeworld. He'd excelled everyone's expectations – even his own – but he hadn't realized how well he fit the mall of a commander; the faithful XO who protected his captain, who offered advice, handled schedules of personnel and ran a tight business.

At first, when it became known that _Discovery_ was to be commanded by a Vulcan captain, after returning from the mirror universe, he'd been disappointed. He had thought he'd proven to everyone that he was ready for a command of his own and he knew he had the crew's respect. During the following period of time, after watching the seasoned flagship captain in action, he had realized that he still had much to learn about command but not only that but about himself.

The process of Vahar'ai had been a life altering experience, his fear had subdued, his sense of self-respect had been strengthened and his priorities had changed. Like every Kelpien, he could still feel the coming of death but that's where all the similarities with life on Kaminar stopped nowadays.

It should have thrilled him to use his expertise as a first contact specialist and also to step back up in the role as acting captain but there was something in Captain Pike's eyes, something in his voice that cautioned the Kelpien of danger. He didn't feel death coming but he had a foreboding feeling that he didn't like.

_Discovery_ was currently lurking at a blind spot, at the so-called backside of Sobral where it could not be detected by neither the ground stations on the planet nor the neighboring planet Sobaya.

Saru was abruptly brought out of his musings as the turbolift door slid open to reveal the bridge. He straightened and gracefully strode up to the captain's chair. He noted that Lieutenant Spock was already there, overseeing things and running calculations at the science station. The Vulcan was eager and worked hard for progress with attention to detail, something Saru appreciated greatly. He had no doubt that the fairly young Vulcan officer would make a great contribution to the command team in a few years if he wanted to.

The Kelpien sensed that the Vulcan might not want a command of his own but his logical way of thinking and cautious insight strongly contributed to make up for certain humans brash and bold style. Then there was the fact that he had one of the best captains and teachers with him all the time while serving onboard the flagship of the Federation. Spock, no doubt, scrutinized every command decision for the benefit of understanding the human way better. Saru guessed that he studied the way Captain Pike used his diplomatic skills, used his sense of loyalty, adapted logical thinking to troublesome situations and bargained for better terms while using his ship and crew in the most effective and efficient way.

Saru shook his head, his mind had drifted again, this time to deducing the character traits of his interim captain's science officer. It was time he focused at the task at hand.

"Lieutenant Bryce," he commanded. "Please locate the leaders of this world and open a channel."

The senior communication's officer tapped away at his console as he readjusted the small gadget in his ear. "One moment, commander," he offered as there was a faint beep and a flash of green on the display. "I'm placing a hail now."

Saru watched the view of the planet intently on the main view screen, gathering himself.

"They have accepted the call. I have a visual feed ready for you," Bryce said.

"Put it on lieutenant," he replied calmly.

A petite woman, with features like the away team had adapted to earlier, appeared on the screen before the bridge crew. _"Greetings space vessel,"_ she said, her voice soft yet tense. _"I am Council member Eela Esha, the Governor of Sobral." _

Saru stood, inclining his head politely as he stepped up between Detmer and Owosekun. "It is a pleasure to talk to you Governor Esha. My name is Saru, I am the acting captain of the United Starship _Discovery_."

She nodded. _"Yes, our ground stations have already deduced that your ship belongs with the United Federation of Planets, Captain Saru. Perhaps I should enlighten the Federation that we whished to have no further contact with the community unless asked for?" _

"Commander, if I may?" Spock called evenly.

Saru nodded. "Go ahead, lieutenant."

The Vulcan stepped into view and bowed slightly at the alien woman. "It seems we meet again, Governor Esha," he said. "May I remind you that_ USS Enterprise_ defused an unstable situation between Sobral and Sobaya two years ago?"

"_Lieutenant Spock of Vulcan,"_ she acknowledged. _"I am surprised to see you onboard but not displeased. Perhaps there is a chance that Captain Christopher Pike is among you as well?" _

Owo and Detmer carefully glanced at each other, not knowing of the Sobayan/Sobralian perceptive ability to read humans.

"_He is,"_ she deduced. _"Please inform Captain Pike that if there is to be any further contact with Federation representatives during this uninvited visit, he shall schedule an appointment with me. I am looking forward to his call and his call only." _

Saru stared at the main view screen as the connection terminated and the view of the planet once again were displayed.

OOOOOO

Commander Paul Stamets sighed as he disengaged from the spore drive unit a second time. "It's no use," he said tiredly. "I can't see through it."

"Can't we do a short jump?" Nilsson suggested. "End up at the other side of the energy barrier and take it from there?"

He gave her an incredible look. "'Control' has gathered the entire Section 31 armada. I might jump right into their hands," he reasoned. "Besides, jumping this close to a phenomenon like that might have us end up right back at the Mirror universe. We would leave the _Enterprise_ all alone at the rendezvous coordinates at the hands of the AI."

"How do we get back then?" she asked. "How do we get out of this region of space? How do we know that 'control' isn't taking up the hunt?"

"Right now, we'd better hope we can get some dilithium for the warp core or we'll be stranded here for a very long time," he replied sourly.

OOOOOO

"Absolutely not," Doctor Culber said as he eyed the unlikely pair before him.

The Kelpien XO and the Vulcan lieutenant stood in his office, opposite his large desk. None of them seemed to accept a no for an answer. However, the most interesting thing, Hugh noted, was that neither of them really seemed to agree with what they proposed.

"Have you gone completely out of your minds?" the doctor questioned quizzically as his colleague Doctor Tracy Pollard walked in to join them.

"Perhaps, Doctor Culber, we could sit down and discuss the matter?" Saru suggested diplomatically.

"There are rules to be obliged here," he protested as he leaned forward in his chair. "Protocol-,"

"With all due respect, doctor," Saru argued calmly, "Protocol states what can and can't be done under regular circumstances."

Spock looked from Saru to Culber and then back again. "I must confess that I have had similar conversations with Captain Pike on several occasions where I have argued - logically – that written protocols are to be followed. What is the point of establishing a set of rules and guidelines if no one is to adhere them?"

"Guidelines," Saru echoed. "That would be a fitting word for them.

"I must partially disagree commander," Spock cautioned. "The penalty for violating _General Order Seven_ is a death sentence, therefore general orders cannot be labeled as guidelines."

Doctor Culber sighed. "You want me to certify the captain fit for command?" he asked, wanting confirmation.

"That is correct," Spock replied. "It has come to the Sobralians attention that the captain of the flagship _USS Enterprise_ is onboard this vessel and they refuse to establish contact with anyone else than him. We could of course continue to argue against that fact but since _Discovery_ has been discovered and someone called out a caution to the away team, there will only be a matter of time before our limited possibility of negotiation is lost."

Doctor Pollard crossed her arms over her chest. "Have you been able to explain that Captain Pike is injured and has been taken off active duty?" she asked curiously.

"You do not understand doctor," Spock stated. "It would make no difference. In the Sobada Star System your work title comes first at all times. You cannot separate yourself from it. Captain Christopher Pike can never be stripped of his rank and responsibilities while he is still alive. He will always be the highest-ranking officer onboard this vessel as far as the Sobralians are concerned, and it is to him they will speak; and only to him. If we deny them that right they will take offence and it will be even harder to reestablish diplomatic relations."

"I am afraid that we have no choice in the matter, doctor," Saru reasoned calmly. "We need to establish trust between us and the Sobralians in order for us to get access to raw power which would allow us to safely leave this place. We are, as you well know, depending on their cooperation and their willingness to trade dilithium crystals so that we can power up _Discovery's_ warp core."

Doctor Culber met the Kelpien's eyes squarely. "There is always a choice, commander," he replied curtly. "You are asking me to neglect my duties as a doctor and release a patient under my care who is clearly unwell."

"If it was up to me, which it's clearly not," Saru noted. "I would agree with you. It is my duty to make sure the captain is all right and up to date with ship's business. I would gladly establish contact with the planet and discuss their terms but they will not let me. Governor Esha made it very clear that if there were to be any further contact, it must be with the captain. I am walking the fine line here, trying to care not only for the captain but the crew as well."

"The needs of the many is greater than the need of one," Lieutenant Spock added evenly.

"I understand the logic in that but it is a cold and unemotional statement," Culber replied. "Sometimes the Vulcan way of-,"

"Actually-," Spock interrupted, "-I was quoting Captain Pike. He will call upon the command protocol and given our current predicament the medical protocol will be overridden."

"Why can't we just break orbit around Sobral and establish contact with Sobaya instead? I've got the impression that they might be easier to talk to."

"_Discovery_ cannot break orbit due to power shortage," Saru replied tiredly. "I am afraid we are running out of alternatives."

OOOOOO

When Michael Burnham awoke the next time, she was surprised to see Captain Pike sitting in a chair next to her, dozing. "Captain?" she stated, her voice a mere whisper.

He blinked tired eyes open and took a deep breath as he straightened. "Commander," he acknowledged. "It is good to have you back with us."

"Thanks," she replied.

"However," he began seriously with a frown as he leaned closer to her. "We need to talk about your willingness to sacrifice your life."

"There was no time," she protested mildly. "I'd hoped I'd get us both out of harms way."

"I'm in your debt," he admitted. "This is the second time since I took command of _Discovery_ that you've saved my life. You should let me take the consequences for being reckless. I am a grown man; I can handle that."

"As for the first time; you couldn't help that the pod failed. Besides, I couldn't lose my new captain on the first day. My record is already a little tarnished," she managed kindly.

"When we beamed back to _Discovery_, I considered putting you on report for your actions," he admitted, his blue eyes leveling with her soft brown ones. "But your brother logically pointed out that you were only following the example I'd set for the crew," he finished the sentence with a smirk and a twinkle in his eyes. "Even our CMO hinted it was my fault."

His boyishness and slightly put out look elicited a soft laugh from her. Unfortunately, her body wasn't up to it yet and she tensed as the laughter sent waves of pain through her healing chest.

"I'm sorry," he apologized with concern in his voice. "Do you need anything? Painkillers?"

She shook her head and swallowed, gathering strength, summoning energy. "I'm fine," she whispered. "How are you? You look a little pale and you're dressed in a medical gown. That is usually a giveaway that something isn't right."

He narrowed his eyes slightly at her, his lips twitching upwards. "Smart and cunning, aren't you?" he remarked. "One of the bullets grazed my arm, the other hit one of my ribs but that's not the cause for concern. I'm here under observation because of an unknown substance in my bloodwork. You and me both actually."

"I'm awfully tired," she admitted. "I thought that was from the anesthetic?"

He shook his head. "You didn't receive any. The theory is that there was some kind of tranquilizer in those bullets. Doctor Culber thought that might be the cause of this weariness and sluggishness. I am having difficulties concentrating and I'm dizzy," he confessed.

"Hmm," she moaned, her eyes closing as she was losing the battle of staying conscious.

Pike studied her for a moment and pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure. He considered it to be his recklessness that caused her injuries and it angered him. It was his duty to protect his crew, not get them injured.

"Captain?" a familiar voice suddenly called from behind him as a hand gently squeezed his shoulder. "I believe your biobed is situated across the room," Doctor Pollard said seriously. "This is called taking liberties. You are not supposed to strain yourself."

Pike looked rather amused at the slightly disapproving look and admonishing tone of voice he was receiving from the doctor. "I am slouched in a chair," he replied.

"Apparently that is enough, considering that you've lost what little color you'd managed to get back on your face earlier," she chastised.

He had no reply to that, instead he resigned and let her help him back to his bed.

Tracy Pollard didn't actually have to literally help him, he managed to walk the distance by himself but she kept a steady hand on his shoulder anyway. The skin was radiating heat through the thin fabric of the gown and it unsettled her, especially after having heard the conversation between Doctor Culber, Commander Saru and Lieutenant Spock in the office a few minutes earlier. There was no way the captain could return to full duty like this; she had to talk to Hugh about that and, surely, the captain himself must understand it would be insane.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	8. Opportunities

**Chapter Eight**

_Opportunities _

"Go, barrier team," Tilly called brightly as she pumped her fist in the air.

Reno, Stamets, Owo, Detmer and Bryce all gave her looks that ranged from annoyance, to mild amusement.

"Sorry, a cheerleader thing I remembered from high school. Am I overdoing it again?" the young ensign asked with a slight blush.

"Nah," Reno drawled. "Just keep being you."

Commander Saru had recently vacated the room after giving them a quick update. They had asked about Captain Pike and Commander Burnham and the Kelpien had understood their concern and kindly filled them in on their condition. He finished with telling them that he was sure that both officers would have been with them in the room if they'd been allowed to at the moment. That had elicited a few smiles and soft laughs, brightening the mood amongst the members of the group.

The cheerfulness about receiving news about Burnham and Pike had unfortunately been overshadowed by Bryce's question – Would the captain really go down to the planet?

A lengthy discussion had taken place after that in which the range of emotions were varying. Stamets had questioned whether or not they'd been thinking that through properly – much like the reaction of his former lover, Doctor Culber. Tilly had paled at the mention of the captain leaving the ship as this was the first time that she'd heard about it. Detmer and Owo had said nothing but their expressions had told Saru of their disapproval. Jett Reno had just shaken her head, smirked and told the rest of them that she didn't think anyone could stop Captain Pike if he'd set his mind to something and reminded them about the fact that they had to try any means to get back on their way.

After a few moments of silence Saru had called for an update of his own.

Detmer reported that the helm was still not responding properly. Owo, who was in charge of operations onboard, had added that a lot of circuitry had been fried in the main control housing and that reparations were underway.

Saru had nodded at that, recognizing their frustration as repairs was going slow and asked Commander Stamets about his thoughts on the spore drive unit and the possibility of using it in the near future.

Paul had snorted and shaken his head at the question. He'd proceeded to explain that the phenomena they'd now agreed upon to call 'the energy barrier' was making it hard to navigate the Mycelial Network. The energy was so vast and powerful that it seemed to span across dimensions. Navigating through it was like navigating through heavy fog at sea or air; except, he had no radar or sonar. He was hesitant to try it since he might very well lead them right into the hands of the AI.

Commander Jett Reno spoke up to give a report from the engineering section. She explained her and Ensign Tilly's work, studying the energy barrier and the possibility of actually using it to power the ship.

Stamets had insisted that it might be dangerous and lead to irreparable damages to the ship instead of aiding them in their quest to escape this star system and rendezvous with the _Enterprise_. Reno, in turn, pointed out that the problem at hand must be seen from every direction and approached from every angle of direction. Besides, she was just brainstorming ideas.

Saru calmly intercepted before the mild bickering turned into an argument between the two bright but stubborn officers. He then turned to Lieutenant Bryce and told the team that they were to consider this energy barrier as something intricate and perhaps even living. Therefore, he wanted the communication's department to start scanning it and look for a way to make contact with it.

He urged them to remember that there were living organisms in the Mycelial Network and told them he didn't want a repeat performance of the rescue of Ensign Tilly and Doctor Culber. Then hastily added that it wasn't the rescue in itself he was talking about but rather their failure to understand the Network as a home for living individuals.

The Kelpien had left them to their tasks and headed off to the bridge after that.

That's where they were now; heading on to find out more about the phenomena and see if they could use it to either get away from the Sobada Star System or find their way around it.

"I still think it's moving around," Ensign Tilly said as she studied the figures of math displayed on the screen before her.

"The best way to start investigating that would be to talk to someone who'd been here before," Stamets suggested cunningly.

Tilly brightened – she suddenly found a reason to go visit Captain Pike. However, before she got to it, there was a call for her to report to the Captain's ready room.

OOOOOO

Sitting in the Captain's ready room, Commander Saru elegantly laced his long thin fingers on the desk before him and leaned forward as Ensign Tilly walked through the door.

She looked both curious and cautions at the same time and she smiled nervously at him as she walked up to stand opposite him. "Hey," she called softly. "Long time no see."

A very faint smile could be registered on his thin lips; the only thing he thought he could offer her and still be professional in his approach. She was perhaps a little rough around the edges to fit into Starfleet's command mall perfectly but she was a bright, sharp and kind person who'd do well with the right guidance; of that both he and Captain Pike was sure.

"Ensign Tilly," he acknowledged. "Please have a seat."

She quickly slid into one of the chairs opposite the desk. "Don't take this the wrong way, sir, but it feels kind of weird seeing you sit in that chair," she blurted frankly.

He nodded calmly. "One of the things that you need to work with is your directness, or rather, bluntness. While Captain Pike and I don't mind, there might be others in high places who takes offence," he explained kindly.

"Okay, subtle it is," she said softly with a bright smile. "What's the next step?"

Saru refrained from shaking his head but smiled inwardly at her eagerness and her ability to be one step ahead of the other candidates in the program.

"You have performed well under the guidance of our Chief of Security, Commander Nhan. Thereby demonstrating your abilities to defend and be defended, how to use a phaser and how to approach a combat situation. You have also succeeded in engineering while training for Commander Reno and Commander Stamets. Of course, there was no doubt about that part since I know that engineering is your preferred area of training. The fact that you have taken an interest in learning about the spore drive unit and also been able to assist our mycologist with operations is a statement of your ability to adapt and focus on the task at hand."

Tilly broke into a large grin, unable to help herself. "Are you sure it's me you're commending, sir? It seems I've done so much."

"And you are good at doing it," Saru replied. "There was a lot left to desire from all of you, during the teamwork and medical exercise, but we have taken into consideration that the situation was extreme and that all of you were pushed to your limits – including Lieutenant Barnes and Lieutenant Lesley. If I am to be frank, I'd say that most officers would have had trouble on Arax VI."

"Such a fascinating world," she mused, her eyes sparkling.

"Now, on to your next assignment as part of your CTP," the Kelpien commander said. "I must caution you, as Captain Pike's XO I might not be in agreement with him on this one but given the situation, I have decided to go along with it." He shook his head as he let his gaze fall to the table-top for a moment. "I am not in agreement with myself when it comes to this."

Tilly frowned at the statement. "I am afraid that I don't understand, sir," she said.

"As you know, we've run into a bit of a problem while contacting the Sobralians. Their custom and tradition makes it impossible for me to act as a liaison and First Contact Specialist. They simply refuse to talk to anyone but Captain Pike."

She made a face, thinking that was a bit extreme. "We discussed this earlier but I didn't realize a decision had been made. I mean - Captain Pike is confined to sickbay, is he not?" she asked curiously. "He could get sick again. Doctor Culber doesn't know what is going to happen or how his body is going to react to that strange thing in his bloodstream."

"My point exactly," Saru concurred. "This is where my duty becomes very conflicted. How do I make sure the captain's condition is not going to deteriorate and how can I satisfy the Sobralian government at the same time?"

Tilly shuddered. Another reminder of the two-parted duty as a commanding officer.

Saru sighed. "However, Captain Pike has accepted the terms and he will beam down to the council chamber. Commander Nhan, Lieutenant Spock and Doctor Pollard will accompany him. You will be added to that team as an assistant where you'll be shadowing a commanding officer, in this case, Captain Pike. You are going to study his way of dealing with a first/second contact mission. You'll apply the knowledge you've acquired so far and write a report about it as part of the CTP requires."

Tilly was torn. She was overjoyed by the chance to actually study Captain Pike's actions while on the planet – How he solved the problem using diplomacy and force in combination. How many of the CTP participants would have the opportunity to study the flagship captain's actions? She was also worried about the fact that Captain Pike was going along with this when he wasn't well; he was practically toying with his life for the sake of others.

Tilly knew that, even if he didn't show it, deep inside Doctor Culber would be furious. The CMO could not overrule the decision made by the commanding officer because Starfleet rules were written in such way that there was always a command protocol that superseded the medical one in extreme situations and, given their predicament; she knew that the cunning captain had adhered that protocol.

OOOOOO

"Captain, I am not in agreement and I'll note that in my log," Doctor Culber said seriously as he ran the medical tricorder over Pike one last time, to make sure he hadn't missed anything.

Pike gave a faint nod where he sat on the biobed, feet dangling over the edge. He was now fully dressed, except for the golden uniform tunic who lay draped next to him. "I understand, doctor, but this is the way it has to be," he replied with a hint of tiredness in his usually soft voice.

The door opened to reveal Lieutenant Spock in his blue uniform tunic and Commander Nhan in her red uniform tunic from the _Enterprise_. Ensign Tilly, sitting next to Michael's bedside, suddenly felt out of place as she glanced down at her own dark blue uniform tunic with golden details.

Pike gingerly shrugged into his tunic and zipped it up. "This all started with the _Enterprise_ visiting Sobaya two years ago. I had hoped that a revisit to this star system would have been made under different circumstances," he said.

Doctor Tracy Pollard walked out of their shared office with a medical bag slung over her shoulder, her uniform, clean and crisp; whiter than snow crystals.

Tilly leaned to whisper in Michael's ear as she watched from a distance. "I don't think they thought doctors would go on away missions when they designed that uniform," she said. "I mess up mine every time and I have a dark blue one."

Burnham only nodded in agreement; her eyes closed. Her condition had taken a turn for the worse only a few hours ago and she'd succumbed to a restless slumber which she could not wake up from. A fever had started raging her weakened body and the dreams she'd had earlier was returning. She seemed to be in a state of delirium none of the doctors could explain. Tilly tried to be positive and assure herself, and everyone else, that Michael was strong and would recuperate but deep inside she was worried sick for her friend and roommate. She needed Michael more than anything now. She needed to confide and confess things and she needed advice. Of course, there where others but no one was such a wonderful sounding board. Tilly didn't exactly want to share her inner thoughts with the captain – or maybe that was exactly what she wanted? 'Now there's a forbidden thought', she mused.

Tilly sighed, feeling exasperated. The pupil was going to study her master and she was going to give her best while doing so but she was worried about him; she found herself agreeing with Doctor Culber, she was not in agreement with his decision to travel to the planet. 'Would she note that in her report?` she wondered. Probably not but then again, she should – she wasn't giving it her best if she didn't note her reservations. She knew the captain wouldn't mind but she felt like she was betraying him.

"You do not agree with the captain and me how to approach this situation," Spock stated as he walked up to his sister's bedside.

"I-," Tilly began and then curiously eyed him. "How did you know?"

"You let your emotions show, ensign," he replied yet he wasn't looking at her when he spoke, his eyes firmly on his sister. Then he laid eyes upon her, his face devoid of any emotion at all. "That can be seen as a weakness."

"It's just that-," she trailed off and nodded toward Pike, who stood ready to leave. "The doctors say he's not well and that he shouldn't go."

Spock arched an eyebrow as he followed her gaze. "What would you do about it then, ensign?" he asked.

"I think I should note that I have reservations in my report," she offered. "But it feels like I'll betray his confidence if I do."

"Then your sense of loyalty is misplaced," the Vulcan replied simply. "The captain is your commanding officer, not your gossiping friend. If you believe that his decision is wrong; that it violates protocols and somehow endangers the away team, you shall report so."

She snapped her mouth shut, offended by his flat tone. "And they say I'm blunt and direct," she muttered sourly under her breath, forgetting that the Vulcan ear is capable of picking up sound barely audible to humans.

"It is simple logic, Ensign Tilly, and command for you," he answered. "You have to set your emotions aside, factor in everything you know and be able to see the whole picture."

OOOOOO

_To be continued_


	9. Hidden Agendas

**Chapter Nine**

_Hidden Agendas _

Agent Ash Tyler, now a member of Section 31, stared at the mirror image of a bearded man with untamed dark hair. It was long, somewhat disdainful had it belonged to Lieutenant Ash Tyler, a member of Starfleet, but as the man working amongst the shadows it blended in perfectly. He leaned forward to look deep into his own eyes, the dark orbs seemed strangely haunted and at ease at the same time. Perhaps conflicted was a better description. He was the human consciousness superimposed on a transformed Klingon warrior; he was rootless. The Klingon named Voq was dead, Lieutenant Ash Tyler was listed as deceased in the official records.

However, he had come to terms with all that, made peace with himself and all his decisions leading up till this day; or so he'd thought. Ash kept hearing Christopher Pike's voice in his head, seeing his slightly apathetic face as he'd told him and Chancellor L'Rell of their son Tenavik.

Ash's eyes strayed to the insignia of the Torch Bearer and found himself in awe of the fact that his son was now a grown man, perhaps just as old as he was. Pike would never lie about such a thing; he believed in honesty and compassion.

The revelation about his son had left Ash speechless for a moment, not sure how to handle, or come to terms with, that new piece of information. He knew there wasn't time to organize another meeting with the monks and even if there had been, the reason as to why he couldn't go there was obvious – he was dead as far as the Klingons were concerned. All because of a ruse by Emperor Georgiou to save L'Rell, Ash and their family from the Klingon ruthlessness.

Somewhere along the lines of living like a human, of being transformed into a human, his Klingon body and soul had adapted and changed to the extent that their bruteness had began to sicken him. Then again, these monks had shown mercy and kindness when letting the captain leave with a time crystal – or had they really?

Ash snorted as he thought back upon it. There was something Pike wasn't telling anyone – something that had shaken the calm and stable man to the core; he was sure of it. L'Rell had warned of great sacrifices from the ones who seeks a crystal of time. Most Klingons didn't return from the monastery at all, yet this – by Klingon standards – fragile human had done just that.

When Tyler had been unable to sleep that night, he'd finally given up and went to seek out the company of the man he'd come to respect and see as a friendly acquaintance. He'd hesitated at Pike's door but he was too curious about his son to walk away. He pushed the doorbell and let himself in. Tyler found Pike sitting propped up in his sofa, his uniform tunic unzipped, his left hand cradling a glass of whiskey.

"_Captain, I am sorry to bother you but-," Ash began apologetically, trailing off as the blue eyes looked, not at him, but right through him. "Are you all right?" _

_Pike shook out of his stupor and let out a bittersweet chuckle but he said nothing; he just raised the glass to his mouth and emptied it. _

_Ash watched him in silence. _

"_For great sacrifices," Pike finally replied. "Now, what can I do for you at this hour, Agent Tyler?" _

"_I need you to tell me more about my son," he said. _

Ash Tyler had left the captain's quarters one hour later, filled with hope for the future, love for his son and a peaceful mindset; it had all taken place 36 hours ago. Now the AI/control was once again filling his mind with dark thoughts, with fear of running into the human appearance of his commanding officer at Section 31; Leland. Zero hour was coming, the question was; were they ready for it?

OOOOOO

"So, we're sure it wasn't here two years ago?" Reno asked, wanting clarification.

"There is no mention of it in the reports from the _Enterprise_," Stamets replied. "I asked Nhan as I ran into her on my way here and she just shook her head – so I'd say that is a given no."

"Tsk, tsk," Reno said as she shook her head. "What's gotten you so testy? Is it because Hugh is on his way here to help?"

Bryce and Nilsson shared a look of disbelief at the engineer's brashness.

"I am a professional, mind you," he replied sarcastically. "Unlike others."

"Do you believe it is a lifeform?" Nilsson asked curiously. "It's so big."

"Maybe not a lifeform in that sense," Stamets reasoned. "But, like Saru said earlier, no one wants a repeat performance of our first contact with the beings living in the Mycelial Network."

The door swooshed open to reveal the CMO and silence suddenly settled over the group.

"Hi," Hugh greeted kindly as he sat down his bag and moved over to study the results and calculations displayed at the large screen in the middle of the small lab.

"Hi, doc," Reno drawled. "Grab a seat and make yourself comfortable. You never know when you're let out of this room."

Bryce reached up with his hand to rub at his tired eyes and then took notice of the watch, realizing they had been at it for ages; both the Alpha and Beta shifts had ended.

"I'll go and fetch some coffee, anyone up for a cup?" Nilsson asked.

"How many cups can you carry?" Reno asked. "Better yet; how many cups can the replicator make?"

Nilsson chuckled. "I'll be back soon. I'll make sure I get a tray," she said and exited the room.

"What is life?" Bryce asked suddenly. "How do you define life?"

"Well," Culber offered. "The condition that distinguishes life from organic matter is made up of several things. Capacity for growth, reproduction abilities, responsiveness to change."

"That definition would exclude the AI from being alive, yet it is able to talk, walk and present a danger to all living things?" Stamets asked curiously.

"It is intelligent," Reno pointed out. "Like my babies which I built while awaiting rescue on that godforsaken rock. I was fond of them, damn I should have brought them onboard."

"Perhaps, if you'd consider life only to be intelligent creatures in human terms, then the AI would be defined as a living thing," Hugh said.

"It has no moral, no code of ethics," Paul argued.

Reno harrumphed as she tapped away at the console before her, feeding it data. "That is because its creator didn't choose to give it any," she said.

Stamets sighed in mild annoyance. "A worm doesn't have moral yet it is defined as living thing."

The engineer looked at him curiously, smirking. "How do you know that? Have you asked?"

Bryce began to laugh, unable not too, at the sarcastic drawl from the engineer which was met by an incredible look on the astromycologist's face. "I'm sorry," he managed and harrumphed. "I got something in my throat."

OOOOOO

They materialized inside the building complex, housing the government, a pleasantly temperate zone which starkly contrasted the desert heat outside.

Several guards stood before them, awaiting their arrival. The alien security looked competent and attentive, their eyes immediately upon whom the governor considered to be the only important person in the room except herself; Captain Christopher Pike.

Governor Esha's lips quirked upwards at finally seeing the man up close and in person, not on a screen on a feed from the neighboring planet. She noted that he looked a little pained but he stood tall, looking every bit of an authority figure, just like he was expected to. Her attentive eye almost immediately caught on to the cross on the dark woman's badge which she knew was a sign of the medical department in the Federation. 'So, he_ was_ part of the landing party', she deduced slyly.

"Welcome to Sobral, Captain Pike, and of course the rest of you as well," the governor said smoothly. "Lieutenant Spock, Commander Nhan."

"This is my assistant, Ensign Tilly," Pike introduced as he made a gesture for her.

The young woman with curly red hair took a step forward and gave a nervous smile.

"And this is Doctor Pollard," he finished.

Esha frowned innocently. "I wasn't aware medical was required on this meeting. Are you expecting trouble captain?" she asked curiously.

"It is standard procedure on away missions such as this," Pike deadpanned.

Tracy gave no outward sign to the smooth explanation but she suddenly understood how well-versed the captain was in the alien culture; how cunning and diplomatic he could be.

"I think I am offended," Esha said. "We have excellent medical facilities on this planet. We'd be happy to help out."

"That is interesting," Pike replied politely as he stepped down from the platform. "Considering that you practically wanted us to leave straight away. I understand from the way you spoke to my XO, Commander Saru, that we weren't welcome here."

She waved his statement away. "Perhaps he interpreted my words more harshly than he should have," she offered. "Please come this way."

OOOOOO

"Lieutenant Detmer," Ensign Redmond, the junior communication's officer called, her voice slightly concerned. "I've lost all communication with the planet."

The pilot, being the most senior officer present on the bridge at the moment frowned as she heaved herself up from the floor next to the helm and sealed the maintenance hatch. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean, everything just shut down. There is no chatter on any of the channels we're monitoring and I can't raise the away team," she explained.

Keyla and Joann shared a troubled look.

"I'll page Commander Saru immediately," Owosekun suggested.

Detmer nodded as she made her way over to the communication's station.

Redmond listened intently for a moment and then shook her head. "I think they're jamming us," she said. "Why?"

"Could be a million reasons," Detmer supposed. "Maybe Sobaya is trying to hail us? Maybe they want to prevent that."

"I'll run through the records of the messages we have so far. I'll check all the bandwidths and see if the ship has picked up something I haven't," the young ensign suggested.

"I don't like all the secrecy; the insistence of speaking to the captain directly," Owo said seriously. "I'm glad he's surrounded by a great team of people."

"I think we'd better go to yellow alert," Detmer ordered.

OOOOOO

Ash was once again sitting next to Michael's bedside, looking at her troubled face. It looked like she was having nightmares. She would twist and turn slightly for several minutes at a time and moan but she wouldn't wake up. The doctor was worried she'd undo the sutures and regenerated tissue if she didn't remain still, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. Culber didn't dare to give her sedatives because there was no way to know how the body would react when the substance came into contact with the contagion.

Ash had argued that there must be something Culber could do but the CMO had just shook his head sadly, saying that while the tranquilizer had perished something else, a residue, remained in her bloodwork that didn't fit any matching profile in the Starfleet medical database over registered diseases, pathogens or bacterial strains.

Tyler, having been working for Section 31 long enough to be paranoid, was starting to get convinced the Sobralians had spiced those bullets with something. He didn't know why though. It appeared illogical to fire a volley of deadly shots and add a contagion. The victim was already supposed to be dead – wasn't it?

Pike had sounded weary when asked about the Sobada Star System, he had wanted to leave straight away with the _Discovery_ limping on subspace drive. It had seemed like a desperate act from a usually very clever and calm captain. Ash now began to understand that there was more to the mission two years ago than Pike had taken time to explain. Part of the mission logs and reports were classified so he couldn't really tell them everything but Section 31 had, perhaps not unrestricted access, but access to more materials than the crew of _Discovery_. Ash intended to use that ace up his sleeve and investigate some things on his own.

The agent looked up in surprise as Doctor Culber set a brisk pace across the room and headed for one of the large medical stations situated across the room. "Doc, is something wrong?" he asked.

Culber tapped away at the console before him, he didn't even spare a glance in Tyler's direction. "We have lost contact with the away team," he explained. "If Captain Pike's condition deteriorates, Tracy is on her own. I had hoped we'd be able to beam them back. I should never have agreed to this."

Ash pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure as he carefully rose from the chair and gave Michael one last look before he turned to leave. "What are you up to?" he wondered. He didn't trust the Sobralians one bit. Now, Tyler had been assigned to this ship as a liaison officer between Starfleet and Section 31. It was his duty to make sure Captain Pike was not up to anything that could interfere or hinder Section 31 in any way but, since that assignment, everything had been turned upside down. He now considered it to be his duty to make sure Captain Pike got every advantage he could in the fight against the AI and the Section 31 fleet. He was also adamant to make sure the flagship captain was protected from danger even when Starfleet failed to do so and right now, he didn't like Pike being on Sobral. He cursed under his breath. He had been preoccupied with thoughts of his family, of his son and of worry for Michael Burnham.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	10. Trouble Brewing

OOOOOO

**Chapter Ten**

_Trouble Brewing _

"Thank you for coming, Captain Pike," Governor Esha spoke up calmly as they walked through the corridors.

"As per your request," he answered diplomatically as he made surreptitious glances around the room. He was taking notes of the doors, the number of guards accompanying them and of possible exits; of all the things he was sure his Chief of Security was scrutinizing as she walked two clicks behind him.

Pike carefully spared a glance at his Vulcan lieutenant who meticulously studied his surroundings to make sure he hadn't missed anything. He then noticed, in his periphery vision, that the doctor was busy eyeing him while Ensign Tilly tried to start a conversation with one of the guards.

The governor motioned for them to walk through a rather pompous wooden door and into what appeared to be a large hall of some kind. The team dutifully entered and cast odd glances at the door as it slammed shut behind them.

The guards took up position around them while the governor gestured for them to take a seat around the large table, situated in the middle of the room.

"Don't take this the wrong way, captain," the governor said smoothly. "We are pleased that the outbreak of war was prevented during your last visit but the people of Sobaya has always been oppressive to us; they still are. We would have appreciated a visit from your delegation so that we could have shown you."

"Like I explained to Chancellor La'co, your equal on Sobaya in terms of leadership; I have no interest in aiding any side in this conflict. I didn't want to interfere then and I certainly don't want to now. The only reason I did the last time was because both of you forced me to take action," he said, his voice colder with every word he uttered.

"Perhaps the governor needs to be reminded of the fact that the_ Enterprise _was targeted by several ground stations and fired upon?" Spock suggested in a flat tone of voice. "That is an act of treachery, considering that we were not hostile."

"You were fired upon by Sobayans," she insisted.

"That is correct," Spock concurred. "However, had the_ Enterprise_ not neutralized the Sobayan ground stations, the Sobralian would have joined forces with them. As I recall, it was only after seeing the destruction caused by the ship-,"

"My race had not seen an alien before," Esha countered sharply, raising her voice for the first time since they'd arrived. "The _Enterprise_ is a mighty ship. My military advisers enlightened me of her capabilities; she's classified as a warship."

"So, you believed it was wise to fire first and ask questions later?" Nhan asked with a hint of disapproval in her voice.

"Commander," Pike cautioned softly but there was no mistake in the underlying message; do not engage in verbal sparing with a possible enemy.

"If you have no interest in the ongoing conflict, then why are you here, Captain Pike?" Governor Esha asked curiously.

"The _Discovery_ ran into unexpected trouble passing your star system," he explained. "We'd like to buy a raw material called dilithium for our – drive unit."

"So, that is how you power your ships," she stated. "Our scientists have debated about that ever since you left."

"If you had applied for membership of the Federation, we would have shared that information with you – willingly," Pike offered kindly.

"Dilithium is rare on Sobral and even rarer on Sobaya," she informed seriously. "Our best scientists have recently found a way to decrease the enormous energy required for powering the city grids around the planet. Scientists are working day and night to make adaptions and to find another source of power. Tell me, why would we share any supply of the mineral we have with you?"

"Because if you don't, all sentient life in the universe will be doomed," Tilly offered bluntly.

The guards stiffened at the words and the governor stepped up to scrutinize the young woman closely. However, it was Pike she was addressing. "Please explain to me, Captain Pike, why your assistant is threatening us?"

"I-, I did not threaten you," Tilly replied flabbergasted.

"My apologies," Pike replied. "There are plans in motion across the universe that might endanger this world and everything else, unless it can be stopped," he clarified. "We are going to do everything we can to make sure it doesn't come to that but in order to do that, we need to refill our supply of dilithium crystals."

She turned away from the young ensign and took a step toward the captain, invading his private space. She was petite and lean; he was tall with broad shoulders. Esha's lips curled slightly upwards in a sly yet dangerous smile. "There might be a way to aid you in your quest," she suggested.

"I am grateful," Pike replied seriously.

"You are a powerful people, and you can act as a liaison between us and the Sobayans once again," she reasoned. "They look up to you, captain. Help us in negotiating more lenient terms between our people and I might have what you need."

"I can't do that," Pike shook his head. "Starfleet has a code of conduct and I'd be negligent in my duties if I disregarded that. You can't buy our cooperation."

"I see," she remarked regrettably and nodded at her small force of men. "Then I'll have no other choice but to ask you to follow the Glory Guards back to the transporter room."

The away team shared a look of confusion as they got out of their chairs. Captain Pike silently took the lead, following the man who appeared to be in charge of the Sobralian guards while the others mixed behind him.

Alarm bells started ringing in the experienced captain's head as the guards took a slightly different route through the corridors. "Is there a reason for this change of path?" he asked curiously.

"It is the same route as before, captain," the guard informed curtly.

"No, it is not," Spock protested. "Captain Pike is correct. You are leading us further away from the transporter platform."

Doctor Pollard frowned, to her it looked like the same corridors but she still had trouble finding her way through certain areas of_ Discovery_ from time to time.

"This is the right way," the guard insisted as they moved on through endless corridors.

"Sir," Nhan spoke up seriously. "I can't reach _Discovery_ using my communicator."

"The building is heavily shielded," another guard offered. "Perhaps your alien technology cannot penetrate it."

There where something superior in his voice that caused a knot to form deep into the pit of Tilly's stomach. He was awfully sure of himself; it was almost like he was gloating. A few meters down the corridor the guards stopped and motioned for the team to enter a room.

Captain Pike didn't move a muscle while Spock carefully raised an eyebrow. Nhan cast a surreptitious glance around the immediate area. Tilly swallowed. She'd never been this close to the senior officers in combat, never seen them communicate this way – without words – but she understood that was exactly what they where doing.

Before the young ensign could even blink the three _Enterprise_ officers had neutralized the seven guards that had been following them and the importance of combat training suddenly went up a notch in her mind.

"Spock," Pike called seriously. "Can you find us a way back to the transporter platform?"

"I do not believe we can get back to the ship that way, captain," he replied. "Also, it appears that they are jamming our equipment. I can lead us back but logic suggests they'd lay in ambush."

"Is there a way out of this building?" Nhan asked.

"It would be no good," Pike pointed out. "We are easily spotted dressed like this. Besides, you and Spock will be noticed at a mile's distance."

"What are our options then?" Doctor Pollard asked carefully, feeling the situation was hopeless.

"This building stretches deep underground," the captain said. "I noticed a layout when we stepped out of the transporter."

"That is a viable option," Spock confirmed. "My scanner is still operable and it appears that the low levels are unoccupied."

"Let's get going then," Pike commanded and suddenly stopped, his hand on the wall, trying to keep himself upright.

Nhan quickly reached out to steady him. "I have you, sir," she assured him.

Pollard ran her medical tricorder over him, looking concerned.

"It's just a dizzy-spell," he argued. "We need to get going."

Nhan eyed him suspiciously. For her superior officer to accept her help without protest, he must be worse than he was letting on. "Is that true, doctor?" she asked disbelievingly.

"The captain's condition is slowly deteriorating," she reported softly and eyed him sternly as she informed the others. "The sooner we are able to get back to_ Discovery_, the better."

OOOOOO

Commander Saru walked onto the bridge. "Report," he ordered.

"We have lost all communication with the planet Sobral," Ensign Redmond informed.

"They are jamming us with everything they've got," Owo added as her fingers flew over the console. "The transporter cannot get a fix on the away teams signal and the subcutaneous trackers worn by Captain Pike and Commander Nhan are not transmitting their position."

Saru nodded, trying to get a grip of the situation at hand while running all kinds of possible explanations in his head. "It would seem that the Sobralian's intentions was not to negotiate-," he remarked. "-but to get Captain Pike down to the surface for some reason."

"What shall we do, sir?" Owo asked, awaiting orders.

"At the moment, there is not much we can do," the Kelpien replied and involuntarily shuddered at the unpleasant foreboding feeling that had now manifested itself in the pit of his stomach. "Ensign Redmond, please call the senior officers, still present on the ship, to the Captain's ready room immediately."

"Right away, sir," she answered quickly. "This is a general call from the bridge. All senior officers, please report to the Captain's ready room immediately."

OOOOOO

"This way!" Spock called over his shoulder.

The rest of the team followed quickly behind. Pike was able to keep up despite the high pace. While he was sick, he also had a basic physique that rivaled that of an athlete. It turned out to be Doctor Pollard and Ensign Tilly who naturally brought up the rear.

"Oh, my goodness, I don't like tight spaces," Tilly said somewhat anxiously as they made their way deeper into the tunnels under the government building.

"Then it makes three of us," Nhan replied, running close before her.

"Make that four," Pollard added between shallow breaths.

"Who's the fourth?" Tilly asked curiously.

"That would be me," Pike deduced. "When I was a teen, I had an entire tunnel collapse on top of me, since then I've been a little cautious around places like this."

"While doing something you shouldn't?" Tracy guessed and managed to sound both motherly and admonishing at the same time.

"Perhaps," Pike let on enigmatically, feeling like a schoolboy at her disapproval.

There was a large rumble up ahead and the ground shook forebodingly.

"What was that?" Tilly wheezed.

"The tunnel is collapsing," Spock stated calmly as he studied his scanner display.

"Options?" Pike asked, his voice equally calm.

"There is a side tunnel a few meters to our right, at the junction up ahead," Spock noticed.

The team sped up to a mad dash across the uneven ground, trying to avoid the debris raining down over their heads as they fled the crushing weight of the ceiling that tore apart above them.

Pollard all but pushed Tilly into safety as stones clattered and clustered behind them; effectively sealing the main tunnel.

Tilly gasped as she sank down on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Pike decided to sit down before he'd fall down and closed his eyes for a moment. Nhan gently placed her back against the wall and slid down.

"That was close," Tilly whispered.

"Where does this lead?" Nhan asked curiously as she nodded down the semi-dark tunnel which they'd rushed headlong into.

Spock studied his instrument and arched an eyebrow. "Nowhere it seems," he stated.

Pike groaned and forced his eyes open to slits. "Come again, lieutenant?" he said.

"This tunnel has been sealed from the other side, around the bend, roughly 500 meters further down," he explained. "It would appear we're stuck."

Tilly swallowed. "Oookay," she drawled anxiously and started talking to herself. "Try not to panic, try not to panic."

Pike slowly got up and began to make his way down the tunnel. "Show me," he said to Spock.

The pair began to move forward, the rest of them following suit. Within a few agonizing minutes they'd reached the blockage.

Doctor Pollard eyed the young ensign to make sure she was okay and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Eyes on me, Tilly," she commanded. "Look at me. We're all here together, take deep breaths and remain calm. We're going to get through this."

Tilly swallowed and nodded.

"Are you okay?" Pike asked kindly as he moved up to stand next to Tilly.

She nodded again. "Just a little panicky but I'll get over it," she replied bravely.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," the captain encouraged with a faint dimpled smile. "I am not entirely comfortable either but experience have taught me that occupying your mind with other things helps."

"Take the hint, ensign," the Barzan offered, slightly amused. "That is his polite way of ordering you to shift rocks."

Tilly smiled and took a deep breath as she made her way over to the blockage.

"Thank you, doctor," Pike said gratefully, indicating that he was glad she had helped calming the ensign down. "I wonder why we haven't brought you along on earlier away missions?"

Spock, having overheard the subdued praise, walked over to them. "Perhaps that would have been a good idea since you do get into a lot of scrapes, captain."

Pike turned to him, unamused. "That is not exactly what I meant, lieutenant," he replied.

The Vulcan arched an eyebrow. "Doctor Pollard is a medically trained crewmember, captain, and very skillful at her work. While you are perfectly suited to run the ship's business, you lack the skills of taking care of yourself at times."

A look of hurt crossed Pike's face for a fleeting moment. "I really appreciate your directness, Spock," he drawled as he turned to make his way over to help Nhan and Tilly with the sealed tunnel.

"No, captain, allow me," Spock said quickly. "Please, take a moment to rest."

"I am not crippled, Spock," Pike managed through clenched teeth as he reached up to wipe away the thin sheen of perspiration from his forehead with his sleeve.

At that Spock said nothing. Instead he focused on the woman next to him. "Doctor Pollard, please update me on the captain's condition," he said, ignoring the look he got from Chris.

"Unchanged," she said darkly as she eyed him with concern. "Readings confirm headache, dizziness fatigue and fever."

As if to support her statement Pike accidentally sidestepped, his balance off, and fought to right himself. He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and nodded. "I'll sit down over here," he said.

"Captain?" Tilly called over her shoulder as she took a moment to wipe away the perspiration from her face with her dusty sleeve. "I know you came here two years ago and wanted to establish first contact but you never really told us the reason for being targeted."

"And you're entitled that explanation," Pike said with a faint nod as he leaned back against the uneven surface of the tunnel wall.

"Captain, I must caution you," Spock pointed out. "Neither Doctor Pollard nor Ensign Tilly have the necessary level of security clearance."

Pike sighed and tilted his head a little to look at his Vulcan science officer. "Sometimes, lieutenant, protocols may require a slightly different approach," he said cunningly and turned to Tilly. "Ensign, as your participation on this mission is part of your CTP, it is your choice to put me on report for this – unorthodox – way of bypassing security protocol and give you an answer to your question."

She gulped at that. "I won't, sir. Of course, I won't," she replied.

Nhan saw the slight disapproval on the Vulcan's face, she'd learned to interpret some of the small nuances in his expression after serving together for several years. She also knew that even if Tilly didn't mention it in her report, there was a possibility that Spock would mention it in his. Therefore, she decided to speak up as well.

"After a rather long period of time with routine tasks, stellar cartography, maintenance, diagnostics, efficiency simulations and too many movies-," Nhan began with a faint smile. "- sensors picked up a star system with two planets capable of sustaining human life."

"We initiated the first contact protocol and decided to put the ship into geosynchronous orbit around the larger of the two planets," Pike filled in.

"The planet was densely populated and had had their first trial runs with a spaceship," Nhan continued. "They took pride in telling us that, even though the technology hadn't been perfected."

"Schaiska," Tilly began.

"S'ash'ii'sh'schka," Spock corrected.

"To an outsider everything seemed fine," Pike spoke up. "They were guarded, still not very trusting but at the same time very interested in our technology."

"What we didn't realize at the time was that the Sobayans had recently started to look for a way to incorporate the Sobralians into their system; their state affairs, their laws, their cultures – forcing beliefs and regulations upon them," Nhan explained.

"Number One deduced there where disconcerting preparations going on; things that could point in the direction of a war outbreak between the two planets," Pike added. "Every report I received concluded one thing; if things escalated and got further out of hand then a lot of lives would be lost."

Pollard pursed her lips into a thin line of displeasure as she recalled the earlier briefing onboard the _Discovery_. "That's what you meant by saying that your hands were tied due to the prime directive," she surmised.

Spock nodded, deciding to join the conversation. "The prime directive states that under no circumstances are Starfleet vessels to become involved in political affairs and disputes amongst different fractions. Nor are they allowed take part in other unstable situations in which they can change the natural scenario or outcome of the situation," he said.

"The Sobayans made several statements, claiming that they were troubled by their neighboring planet. There had been reports of radical groups wanting to destabilize the entire sector. The Chancellor asked for our help," Nhan said.

"We kindly told him that Starfleet is a peacekeeping organization and that the _Enterprise_ is an exploration vessel," Pike added wearily. "If they insisted upon our interference in their dispute, we had no option but to cut this first contact mission short."

"Meanwhile the Sobralians thought you'd signed up on the Sobayan side," Tilly deduced. "You did say the _Enterprise_ was directly targeted by several ground stations on Sobral."

The captain broke into a very faint smile. "You pay attention to detail," he noted. "But I did not say they fired upon us."

"I can explain that, ensign," Spock said flatly. "When the decision to leave the sector had been reached, the _Enterprise_ had to travel down a narrow corridor between the two planets in order to reach the space outside the star system. During that time the Sobralians saw the opportunity to use any force necessary in order to turn the ship around."

"The Sobralians thought that by targeting the _Enterprise_ they could force us to turn around and slip into orbit around their planet," Pike offered. "However, at the same time the Sobayans decided to test their firepower against a superior 'enemy'.

"We later learned of the arguments within the space program where several reports warned that the planetary defense was insufficient and that, as long as it was, there would be no more trial and error runs with the newly formed Space fleet," Spock informed. "Naturally, the Sobayans couldn't fire upon Sobral since such actions would resolve in the outbreak of a war no one really wanted and they couldn't fire upon their own space vessel. Therefore, they saw an opportunity to convince the department that the planetary defense was in working order and the crew well-practiced for an off-worldly attack if they could engage the _Enterprise_."

"But why blowing the stations away?" Tilly asked curiously.

Nhan sadly shook her head. "We tried to neutralize the threat several times, we launched countermeasures but they kept launching torpedoes at us; it was like some crazy horde of small bullets that pinged off the hull of the ship and it depleted the shields."

"It drained the power couplings and temporarily destabilized the warp core; we couldn't run," Pike filled in. "So, I gave the order to flatten the two firing ground stations to the ground itself."

"It was an act of provocation," Nhan added seriously. "It was either the lives onboard the _Enterprise _or the lives on the surface."

"The ramifications of that action was immediate and the price high," Pike said darkly. "They demanded that Number One and I was brought to the surface so that we could be _sentenced_ for our crimes," he said, emphasizing the word sentenced.

Tilly shuddered at that. The idea of sitting in a prison camp on some remote world, far from home, without the means to clear your name made her skin crawl.

"Nhan, Spock, Amin, Nicola and Boyce did a magnificent job of getting us out of there," Pike offered kindly as he looked from Nhan to Spock and then back again. "Una and I owe you our lives."

"I think we've evened out the score since then," Nhan replied softly.

"Things where tense and lively down on the surface of Sobaya," Spock continued, "But we were granted a place amongst the investigating teams. Which is where we learned of this unsettling disagreement within the space program."

"On top of that we also uncovered disconcerting news of Sobralian control of the ground stations on Sobaya. The interviewed controller claimed that if the Sobayan government fired upon the alien ship it would give the government of Sobral an advantage to approach the alien commander with evidence that the Sobayans where violent and uncivilized," Nhan explained.

"So, the Sobayans didn't want to test their capabilities against the _Enterprise_?" Tilly asked, clearly confused.

"They most certainly did, ensign," Nhan answered. "They just wanted to make the Sobralians take the blame."

"I can definitely see why you didn't want to come back here," Tilly offered.

"Meanwhile, Number One and I found a few friends in the prison camp – they kindly helped us out," Pike let on enigmatically. "One of them was the former Chancellor of Sobaya."

Spock arched an eyebrow at his superior officer, looking somewhat perturbed even for a Vulcan. "It would have been advisable if you'd stayed inside your confinement – that way you'd been much safer until we could clear you from the accusations," he said.

"Unfortunately, we had a little too much downtime between the interrogation sessions. You know Number One; she can't be inactive for long," Pike replied slyly.

Nhan laughed. "Unlike you, captain?" she asked amusedly.

"I don't know what you're implying, commander," he replied innocently.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	11. Friends or Foes

**Chapter Eleven**

_Friends or Foes _

Saru looked grim as he glanced around the table. Commander Jett Reno, Commander Paul Stamets and Doctor Hugh Culber looked intently at him as he stood at the end of the table. Lieutenant Nilsson, the spore drive operations officer, had joined the meeting as well as Chief Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Ghen Rhys.

They were a small number today Saru noted sadly. Commander Michael Burnham was confined to sickbay, her condition serious. Section 31 liaison Ash Tyler seemed nowhere to be found at the moment while the away team, consisting of Captain Christopher Pike, Lieutenant Spock, Commander Nhan the Chief of Security, Doctor Tracy Pollard and Ensign Sylvia Tilly were considered MIA.

Saru sighed, contemplating on how to start this meeting. "There is no easy way to say this. Some of you already know. We have lost all communication with the away team. Furthermore, all the channels we have been monitoring around Sobral have gone silent. It has led us to conclude that the Sobralians have not been entirely truthful about their intentions."

"Well, they really wanted to have Captain Pike for themselves," Reno remarked, chewing on a gum.

"I seem to recall the captain saying we should leave this place immediately," Rhys spoke up. There was no accusation or blame in his voice but the astromycologist took it as such anyway.

Stamets leaned forward in his chair and fixed the tactical officer with a glare. "So, you believe it is my fault for not engaging the spore drive?" he asked incredulously. "Would you rather run into the AI and his armada singlehandedly? Because that's what might happen if we are flying blind through the 'energy barrier'.

"Paul," Hugh called softly. He could easily tell when his former lover was tense and under pressure. He knew that while the man could be brilliant and kind, he could also be blunt and confronting. However, Paul usually sounded more irritated than he really was.

Stamets turned to Culber and nodded faintly, backing off.

"No one is at fault here," Saru pointed out. "We are not here to cast blame; we are here to find solutions."

There where faint nods from around the table.

"Doctor Culber, please enlighten us about Commander Burnham's condition," the Kelpien said.

"I have, as you know, been able to repair the damages done by the projectile weapon. However, as the tranquilizer have slowly worn off, we are now able to conclude that there is a contagion of some kind in her bloodwork. It is not similar to anything I have ever seen before and it is not listed in Starfleet Medicals database over contagions, viruses or pathogens. I have the team running cross-references with the entire Federation database and the xenobiology department but we've had no luck so far."

"So, someone tried to warn the away team but it was too late," Rhys recalled. "What else do we have?"

"You know, come to think about it," Reno mused. "They targeted and fired upon - not the team - but the captain. When they didn't get their hands on him, the governor later made a request to see him."

"But that doesn't make sense," Stamets said. "Why try to kill the captain and then be eager to see him in person? More importantly; How would they know it was Captain Pike in the first place?"

"Perhaps, they didn't want to kill the captain at all," Saru suggested. "Maybe they just wanted to incapacitate him. We will never know their initial intentions since Burnham interfered. As of how they knew, Commander Stamets, I am afraid that your guess is as good as mine."

"Michael's bloodwork shows that the – I choose to call it contagion for the time being – contagion is causing fever spikes, delirium, disorientation and dizzy-spells. The oxygen saturation is far too low as well and it effects the organs in a profound way. It is made worse by the fact that her body is still recovering from the damages previously inflicted on her and by the shock of being hit by projectiles. She's experiencing nightmares and hallucinations due to fever at the moment and I am afraid she'll be going into convulsions if I can't find some clue about what this is and lower her body temperature."

Saru studied the doctor for a moment, Culber was not happy, his features were grim as he spoke up again. "Now, Commander Burnham is aboard the _Discovery_, she has access to the best medical care we have to offer at the moment. Captain Pike is down at the planet's surface, out of contact with the ship. There is only so much Doctor Pollard can do without proper medical equipment – in fact, even that might not be enough."

"Lieutenant Bryce and Ensign Redmond are working around the clock to try and get the signal back," Saru informed. "There is not much more we can do from this end. I will place a call to the governor and ask to speak to the captain but I don't believe it will work."

A tension, a look of slight despair, had settled over the occupants in the room at the bad news. For a moment everyone seemed to be looking inwards for answers; for something they could suggest that would let them have a breakthrough.

After a moment of silence Saru nodded to the assembled group. "Commander Stamets, you mentioned earlier that it was not possible to use the spore drive unit safely given our predicament. Please explain," he said.

"This 'energy barrier' is causing interference with the Mycelial Network. It creates blackouts within the system. The weakest links are broken, it's like you're out for a jog and you're following a path then suddenly the path doesn't exist anymore," he replied. "Navigating through the Network is done with speeds beyond most people's comprehension and if the path I am following abruptly disappears-," he didn't finish the sentence, he didn't have to, because everyone understood the dangers involved. They would be lost somewhere in the vastness of the universe, hopefully their own universe.

"We are looking for clues of how to bypass these weaknesses and blind spots," Nilsson spoke up. "But so far we haven't come up with a valid solution to the problem. There is no way to guarantee the safety of _Discovery_ and everyone onboard at the moment."

"Commander Reno," Saru stated. "Where are we with the 'energy barrier'?"

"Right now, we're running calculations, it is a slow process," she explained. "The phenomena is huge; sensors cannot penetrate more than the outer layer of it. We've accumulated millions of data, we have tried to establish contact with it, tried to deduce whether or not it is a living thing."

"So far there's no indication of life, at least not in a sense that we can understand," Culber filled in.

"We do know one thing," Reno added, "We know it wasn't here two years ago."

"Keep on studying it. See if you can figure out why and how it moves," Saru ordered. "The rest of you, take your stations and see if you can come up with something that would allow us to get in touch with the away team or leave this area."

As they began to file out of the room, Culber lingered. Saru walked up to the CMO, he had an inkling about what the good doctor wanted to speak to him about.

"Commander Saru," Culber said softly yet his tone of voice was deadly serious. "I have to inform you that I might not be able to save Commander Burnham. I would like to get her to a professional medical facility such as Starbase 11 or Starfleet Medical headquarters in San Francisco."

"You are aware of what is at stake, doctor, the AI is closing in on us. I'd say we've only managed to postpone the zero hour."

Hugh shook his head ruefully. "The way I see it the battle is already lost," he offered dejectedly. "Without Commander Burnham and Captain Pike, without the _Enterprise_…"

OOOOOO

"Arrgh," Tilly groaned as she pushed away a large boulder from the now partly cleared tunnel. The perspiration was trickling down her forehead and mixed with dust that stung in her eyes. Her hair was tied into a bun, her uniform tunic lay discarded in a heap on the uneven ground and her undershirt was soaked.

Doctor Pollard's white medical uniform was caked with dust and dirt while her black hair had taken on a slightly greyish tone due to the faint debris that still filtered down from above. She was coughing slightly as she helped clearing the way. Glancing over her shoulder she was pleased to see that Captain Pike was actually resting, at least that was something.

Nhan grimaced as she reopened the wound in her palm she'd received during the mad dash, tripping and cutting her hand on an old rail.

"Careful," Tracy cautioned as she got up and retrieved the dermal generator from the small medical bag that she had brought with her. "Regenerated skin is thin and fragile," she reminded the Barzan with an admonishing look.

Nhan took a deep breath and sighed, running her other hand through her long curly hair. She nodded toward Pike with a look of concern as she asked in a subdued voice, "How is he?"

Tracy pursed her lips into a thin line of displeasure. She contemplated her words carefully before answering. "He's holding on," she replied.

"I believe we can get under way," Spock said as he widened the passing a little. They would have to squeeze through, it would be tight, but doable.

Tilly breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God," she whispered.

The_ Enterprise_ officers quickly made their way over to Pike's side, Spock standing close while Nhan knelt next to him.

"Captain," Spock called.

"It's time to get up, sir," Nhan urged softly. "Christopher?"

He stirred lightly, blinked heavy eyelids open and found himself flat on his back, his officers hovering over him, dirty and dusty with a few cuts and bruises visible. He frowned as he couldn't remember what had happened and then closed his eyes as the tunnel began to spin.

"Captain," another voice, stern and familiar, broke through the haze of his mind. "Can you hear me?"

He nodded. "Yes, Doctor Pollard."

"This is the last thing I would say if we were back on the ship," she muttered sarcastically. "Can you get up, sir?"

He swallowed and forced his eyes open again. While the dizzy-spell seemed to be over, he felt lethargic and he was shivering from what could only be a fever spike. Then as he took one look at the others, whose faces were covered in perspiration, he realized that the temperature inside the tunnel was rising as hot desert air seeped into it from the outside – at least he thought it was from the outside.

"I think-," he managed. "– you'll have to help me."

A hypo was pressed to his neck, the hiss of something being injected to his system involuntarily caused him to lean away from it. Phil used to tease him about it, insisting that he was acting like a baby, but Chris had always hated getting a hypoinjection.

"It's for the pain," Doctor Pollard offered gently. "I might make it worse. I don't know if it reacts with the contagion."

Nhan and Spock shared a look and then proceeded to grab hold of Pike's upper arms, lifting him up a little so that they could get their hands around his middle and haul him up.

He hissed and sucked on a breath as their touch felt like a raging fire to his skin. "Thanks," he said as he let out a quivering breath and took a moment to get his wits together.

"_As a captain, you cannot show weakness to your enemy or your crew; not to anyone,"_ his old instructor at the academy had said. _"Pain can be ignored."_

Chris had once told Phil about that, who in turn had snorted in disbelief and told him the man could stuff it. Phil had countered with the fact that if Chris didn't tell his doctor when he was in pain or coming down with something, he would personally come and get him and drag his butt to sickbay. After that he would make sure he stayed there until he got better. Chris could picture Phil Boyce at the moment; the good doctor would have been ready to read him the riot for placing himself in harm's way – again. He could also hear Una's voice of disapproval; she could be very blunt and direct while sitting next to his bedside in sickbay. He seemed to recall that she'd cautioned him the last time it had happened that_ if_ he forced her to go through something similar again soon, he would find himself in deep trouble.

Pike let himself be guided by Doctor Pollard and Nhan as Spock took the lead and Tilly had their backs.

"It would appear that the tunnel is shaping into a large chamber up ahead," Spock informed as he studied his scanner.

"Life signs?" Pike asked.

"Negative, captain. It is the middle of the night."

"I-, I didn't realize it had been that long," he admitted.

"Commander Nhan," Tilly called. "I can help. I think you're better suited to bring up the rear. I know I'd be more comfortable having the chief of security looking out for us – besides, I was supposed to be the captain's assistant, was I not?"

The Barzan smiled and nodded as she gently let go of her superior officer's arm. "Keep him upright," she said slyly and then added in a slightly teasing tone of voice. "He's heavier than he looks."

"I heard that," he replied. "I'm not going to take a nose dive."

Tilly sneaked an arm around his middle. "No, not with me here," she assured him with a bright grin and then admonished herself. 'Get that goofy grin off your face.' She couldn't help but to feel a slight blush at being this close to him. 'Get a grip, Tilly,' she scowled. 'Commanding officer, he's your commanding officer. But he is such a treat, goodness, he's eye candy, no, no – commanding officer, even worse – flagship captain.'

"Holy smokes," Pollard mumbled as they stepped into one of the largest underground chambers ever seen.

"What is this place?" Tilly wondered aloud in astonishment.

"A shipyard," Pike said seriously.

"Makes sense," Spock noted. "However, it is a highly illogical place."

"Unless someone wants to hide it," Nhan reasoned.

They walked along one of the lower levels of the large dock.

"There must be a spaceport somewhere," Pike said.

"Captain, I seem to recall the Chancellor of Sobaya insisting that space travel was to be banned by the planets in their common treaty until both of them could defend themselves properly from outside interference and until the technology was safe enough," Spock said.

"Apparently the Sobralians were of another opinion," Pike offered lightly and froze as he laid eyes upon very familiar specs. The shuttle was not ready but there was no mistake in its design. _"Galileo,"_ he said darkly.

"Impossible," Spock remarked but moved over to take scans anyway.

"How in the world did they get their hands on that?" Nhan asked bewildered.

"They are building a replica of _USS Enterprise's_ shuttle, _Galileo_," Spock confirmed.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	12. The Flood

**Chapter Twelve**

_The Flood_

Ash Tyler rubbed his tired eyes and started reading Doctor Boyce's report from the Sobada Star System. He was not going to leave anything out, he'd already skimmed through Captain Pike's report, Lieutenant Spock's, Commander Nhan's, the XO's report and the final report from Starfleet Command.

He was displeased to find out that the threat assessment program had been involved in deducing whether or not the Sobada Star System would develop into a troubling area for future Federation travel. That meant that the system was stored in the memory of the AI. It thankfully didn't mean that it would automatically assume that's where the ship had unintentionally ended up.

He called up the conclusive summary once again and stared at the written words before him.

_Mission Report, logged to Starfleet Command archive 2250 May 5__th __22:04, classified material level 5_

_USS Enterprise NCC-1701. Commanding officer Captain Christopher Pike _

_The Sobada Star System Incident _

He scrolled down, all the way to the last page.

_Conclusive evidence points out that the inhabitants are not ready, or willing, to cooperate with Federation authorities. Targeting Starfleet's flagship is a criminal offence that cannot be excused. Sensory data and ship's logbook confirm that Captain Pike and his crew acted in the best interest of the organization, despite violating the Prime Directive. _

_Captain Pike did act accordingly when the ship was being targeted. Records clearly shows the shields where nearly depleted when the command crew reached a decision to fire upon the ground stations that substantially threatened to severely damage and/or kill the entire crew complement of the ship. Starfleet Command finds the action taken commendable, despite the death toll on the planet Sobaya. Starfleet regulation two-seven-six-omega was deployed and executed. Under no circumstances may Starfleet technology fall into foreign or alien hands and used against the Federation. _

_The level of technology in the sector would suggest-,_

Tyler sighed, losing interest in the diplomatic and political platitudes he knew would come. He guessed that top diplomats, anthropologists, historians and the xenobiology department back in San Francisco where already deep into analyzing this mission; this sector of space.

He tried to make a summary of his own from everything he'd been reading for the last eighteen hours. After another hour he gave up with a dejected sigh. It didn't make sense, none of it did. He found the reports inconclusive and needed to talk to Pike or at least Spock and Nhan.

OOOOOO

Pike pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure. He had assured Starfleet Command that no Federation technology had fallen into alien hands yet here he was – standing face to face with a replica of a shuttle.

"I don't understand," Nhan said in utter confusion. "We've never visited this planet."

"Captain," Spock called. "The supplies we sent as compensation for marginalizing their ground stations was brought to the surface with shuttles since their transporter network wasn't able to handle the amount of goods."

"And the pilot of _Galileo_ said they were very helpful. They carried most of the stuff out themselves. I should have put more people onboard that shuttle," Pike surmised coldly. "Remember the logs?"

"Very sophisticated work," Nhan said. "We thought it was a glitch. However, this is proof that someone must have gone in, plugged into the system, and downloaded the specification while the pilot was out the back. He or she must have had – what – one-minute tops?"

"Glory Guards," Pike deduced.

"Are you saying the government did this?" Tilly asked in astonishment.

"That would explain why they didn't want us to come back," Nhan suggested. "They stole Starfleet technology. Right under our noses."

"And they are going to use it in their escalating conflict, despite the signed treaty," Pike added.

"Wow," Tilly said. "I'm lost. The Glory Guards – they're here on Sobral. You were on Sobaya?"

"The Glory Guards are not planetary bound," Spock explained. "They travel back and forth between the two worlds."

"They are part of the conflict," Pike added. "The Sobayans believe their state is superior to the Sobralians. Since teleportation – or general molecule transportation – was rediscovered the Sobayans have strived to incorporate the Sobralians into their system, their way of life."

"Having previously been separated there are different mindsets, different cultures, which has polarized the conflict," Nhan filled in.

"Rediscovered?" Tilly asked curiously.

Pike shrugged. "That is how they put it," he answered.

"Captain, we are no longer alone," Spock cautioned. "There are three people entering the area two level above us, to your right."

"Two more," Nhan spoke up. "Four floors up and descending."

"We'd better get out of here," the captain commanded, the rush of adrenaline temporarily strengthening him.

They quickly made their way through the different areas of the shipyard's lower levels, dashing through storages, climbing ladders and skidding across one of the large keel construction sites.

"Doesn't seem to be quite as illogical as we first thought," Pike offered as he saw water seeping in beneath his feet.

"It is a shipyard," Tilly spoke up.

"Just not for spaceships," Pollard said as she gently pushed the young ensign before her. "No time to stop."

"Sorry, it's just that I've never been to a shipyard before," she said in amazement. "For boats – ships – things running on water."

As Pike glanced over his shoulder, he saw the amusement on Pollard's face over Tilly's enthusiasm. He couldn't help but to join in by giving her a dimpled grin in return as she turned her focus toward him. He would surely miss Tilly's excitement and her positive attitude when he returned to the _Enterprise_.

"Starfleet!" A voice hollered.

Spock immediately stopped to listen, looking at the scanner in his hand for life-signs.

"Over there," Nhan said. The chief of security having already found the source of the call.

They rushed across a few meters of open ground and into a traditional single hung door and ended up in a tunnel similar to the one they'd come from.

"Not again," Tilly mumbled under her breath and jumped as a previously hidden black clad man closed the door behind them.

Spock curiously studied the small group of men and women before him, all dressed in black. "Captain, I do believe we've just run into the 'truth-seekers'," he stated.

One of them men detangled himself from shadows and came to stand opposite Pike, who was tightly backed up by Spock to the left and Nhan to the right.

Tilly and Pollard shared a look of confusion from the back of the group.

"We never had the chance to meet you before you left, Captain Pike," he said in a friendly manner. "I am Vod'No Esh, the second in command of the former Sobayan state department. I would like to thank you for getting A'do'na out of prison and back into action."

"Tell me," Pike began as he narrowed his eyes at the man before him. "I am curious. Chancellor La'co and Governor Esha didn't agree on many things but they really came together when they enlightened us of a problem with a radical group called the 'truth-seekers'. In fact, I even believe they tried to frame you for firing upon the _Enterprise_."

Vod'No snorted at that. "This world – no, these _worlds_ – are filled with distrust and deceit. Illicit deeds are common."

Another man stepped forward. "Those who seek the glory of eternity shall perish," he said.

"I'm not too fond of riddles to be honest," Pike offered, unamused.

"It is a fragment of a hearsay," the man explained darkly. "Some may even go as far as to call it proof of a former evolution. A crazy old man claimed he'd found more proof amongst the ruins of an old city situated on a small hill previously surrounded by a dried lakebed."

Vod'No nodded. "Those evidence disappeared when the rumor began to spread as the government decided to open the dams and recreate the lake."

"When you say old, huh, how old is that exactly?" Tilly asked curiously, with a nervous smile.

"Thirty-one-thousand-years – give or take a few cycles," he replied.

"Since the orbit around the sun on Sobral is not equal to Earth, a more precise calculation and a conversion into 365 days a year, twenty-four hours a day, according Federation standard would transform that into twenty-four-thousand-years, seven months, three days and four hours," Spock estimated.

"A guess would have been just fine, Spock," Nhan said kindly with a warm smile.

"Vulcans do not guess, Commander Nhan," he answered stoically. "It is not logical."

"The universe is not logical, lieutenant," Doctor Pollard spoke up.

"When all logic has failed, one must proceed to illogical methods," the Vulcan reasoned, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Later," Pike said softly, a faint yet amused smile playing at the corner of his lips. "We can reason about logic some other time."

"Captain Pike," Vod'No began apologetically. "I regret that we couldn't warn you earlier. I sincerely hope your brave officer is doing fine."

"Commander Burnham's condition was stable as we left the ship," Doctor Pollard explained as she cast an eye at her superior officer whose face was covered with thin sheen of perspiration and dust. "But there is an unknown contagion in her blood as well as Captain Pike's that we are unable to identify."

Vod'No stiffened at the bad news and gave away a faint gasp, obviously knowing more about what that might be than he let on.

"This is Doctor Pollard," Pike introduced. "She's here to monitor my condition. I was under the impression that the governor and I would have a talk about things, instead she wanted me to meddle between Sobral and Sobaya. When I did not agree to her terms the_ friendly_ Glory Guards tried to lock us up."

"I think you've seen one of the main reasons as to why she didn't want you here, captain," the former state department man said. "The replica of the _Galileo_."

"Please, enlighten me," Spock encouraged. "What are the Sobralians going to do with that?"

"They were going to incorporate your technology with theirs. They were going to study its engines, power couplings and main programing. Then they planned modify it and put it to use into our common spacecrafts," Vod'No," replied. "As you might have heard, the drive unit and master programming of our design is not exactly perfected and ready for exploration. Three hundred people lost their lives on the trial run two and a half year ago – just before you arrived."

"But _Galileo_ is a shuttle," Tilly protested.

"Exactly," Spock concurred. "It is not designed for space travel in that sense, the level of technology onboard is not enough to venture across uncharted space."

"It is a start," the alien admitted and gently ushered them forward in the cramped tunnel. "We must leave, this place is dangerous, they have been tracking you for hours."

They rushed through the tunnel system, pushing deeper underground for every kilometer. The tunnel floor changed from dusty and dry to muddy and wet.

"We'll show you something," the leader of the group said as they continued.

"Okay, this is even worse than before," Tilly blurted as she tried to think about something else.

"After years of searching we've finally rediscovered the vault the old man referred too. You are our only hope to-," Vod'No began but he didn't have time to finish his explanation as an explosion rocked the tunnel.

The next minute everything happened at once, small cracks in the ceiling widened, allowing rivulets of water to burst through the construction.

Something hit Tilly in the face and she fought to get her bearings right as unsettled sediment stirred around her and water continued to cascade over her. A hand gripped her arm and pulled her up – or down – she didn't know. Panic settled over her, she didn't want to drown; certainly not on an alien world. Her sense of direction was off, she didn't know what to do – sweet Christ - never ever in her wildest dreams had she considered drowning at the bottom of a tunnel, under a lake, when applying as a cadet in Starfleet.

Spock let the current of turbulent water carry him away, there was no point in trying to fight something so powerful. For a Vulcan he was a good swimmer and he managed to grab the collar of Doctor Pollard's uniform fairly easy; he locked her in a tight grip to make sure she would be safe.

Tracy, realizing that someone – she couldn't tell who – had attempted to rescue her from this awful underwater tumbler, felt safe and knew that resisting would not help anyone.

Nhan put her hands over her implants, her lifeline to be able to breathe at all. The current pushed and showed at her clothes and hair as rocks and debris swirled around her, making visibility close to zero. She kicked her legs in the direction she thought was upward, intent on making it out of this alive.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	13. The Breakthrough

**Chapter Thirteen**

_The Breakthrough_

"Huh," Reno said as she straightened in her chair. They had been at it for so long that she didn't react to the change on the screen at first. She shook her head and blinked, trying to clear her head. She called up a set of calculations and ran a few figures again. "Eureka," she blurted, the weariness she'd felt before suddenly gone.

"What?" Nilsson asked hopefully as she came to stand next to the engineer.

"The bugger is going to move," Reno explained and slammed her fist on the table.

Stamets suddenly appeared next to the two women, narrowing his eyes at the screen, trying to deduce what had excited Reno. The computer analysts had compared several patches of data, combined it and started several calculations and analytical programs. All of them had been up and running for days now. The conclusion was both surprising and enlightening at the same time. "The energy is lessening in intensity," he stated curiously. "It is fading – is it fading out of existence?"

"I can't tell," Reno answered as she tapped away at the display. "But this must be how it is able to appear and reappear through the fabric of space."

"How can it exist?" Nilsson wondered aloud as she stared at the magnificent, huge energy cloud. "What is its function?"

"Like I said; this will be a great mission for a science vessel. They're going to be busy for years, studying this. That is, if they can find it after its disappearance," Reno reasoned.

"Let's not get too excited yet," Stamets cautioned. "We don't know how long it's going to take for it to 'fade'. It might take several weeks – or months."

"Do you always have to be so negative?" Reno drawled.

"Here is another one for you," the astromycologist offered. "Even if we can jump again, we'll still need to get dilithium crystals for the warp drive. We promised the Jah'Sepp to minimize our travels through the Network – remember?"

"Maybe it can wait until we've saved all the sentient life in the galaxy?" Reno replied sourly.

OOOOOO

"Communication reestablished," Bryce reported.

Saru let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, lieutenant. Please hail the governor."

"The link is stable," Bryce said as the woman appeared on the main view screen.

"_Acting Captain Saru,"_ she acknowledged. _"We have been trying to reach you for several hours. I was under the impression that Captain Pike would beam down to the planet but he never arrived. I do not appreciate being lied to." _

Saru stared at her for a moment. "Governor Esha. Captain Pike and his team joined you this morning," he said. "I have confirmation from our transporter chief that they arrived safely."

She seemed to stiffen at that, if only for a few seconds, but it was enough to raise suspicion.

"Governor, I do not take kindly to false pretenses. If Captain Pike is not with you, I must organize a search and rescue mission immediately," he replied curtly.

"_I cannot allow that,"_ she said quickly. _"I will not put any more of you at risk but I can send out the guards to look for your missing people." _

"So, he did arrive?" Saru noted.

"_I am afraid there was a commotion,"_ the governor explained_. "As Captain Pike and Lieutenant Spock are well aware of – the Sobada Star System is not safe for outsiders. We have a problem with certain resistance groups." _

"And you believe that they gained access to a heavily guarded building without anyone noticing their arrival?" he questioned and then added diplomatically. "I would have appreciated being told."

"_If we do not find them during the day, we will discuss the matter further,"_ she said as she terminated the call.

"She's stalling for time," Detmer said.

"I am aware of that, lieutenant," Saru replied. "Which is why we should start to prepare for a rescue mission immediately."

OOOOOO

Tilly gasped, flailed her arms and then started to cough as she rolled to her side in the soft sand.

"Easy, easy," a calm, kind voice soothed. "It's all right, you're safe."

Tilly tried to heave water out of her lungs but there was nothing to heave. She moaned as she took a shallow breath, trying to calm down – her mind was still telling her that she was drowning.

"Listen to my voice, ensign," Pike said. "Deep breaths, calm down."

She let out a shaky breath as she looked up at him and saw him sitting on the beach next to her. He was soaking wet and his hair was an unruly mess; strands of grey plastered to his forehead.

She let out a chuckle. "I really thought-," she whispered in a quivering voice, "- that would be my final resting place."

"Sounds like a very negative thought," he offered as he gave her dimpled half-smile and ran a hand through his hair, gently removing it from his forehead.

She brightened and spoke up, her voice slightly teasing. "Have you been swimming with your uniform on, sir?"

He glanced down his yellow uniform tunic and smirked. "It obviously wasn't enough to get it clean again," he noticed. "If you must know, I would have preferred my swim trunks but I didn't pack them."

She laughed.

"Feeling better now, ensign?" he asked.

Tilly nodded thankfully. "Yeah."

"Captain!" Pollard shouted from a far distance.

He glanced over his shoulder to see two figures emerging from the rocky beach down to the south. Spock was gently aiding the good doctor over the uneven ground and loose rocks that led up to the soft sand where Pike and Tilly had beached after their little adventure.

Jogging the last bit, Spock and Tracy quickly joined them. The doctor knelt next to Pike who nodded slightly at Tilly, indicating that she should check her over first.

"Where is Nhan?" Pike asked seriously as he looked up at his Vulcan lieutenant.

"My apologies, captain, I lost the scanner and my communicator in the commotion," Spock informed.

Tilly looked stricken as she glanced out to the sea and noticed something red bobbing on the swells. She raised a quivering arm and pointed towards it. "There," she managed.

Pike hissed as he made to stand but Pollard gently locked her hand around his wrist and shook her head. "Let Spock and me go and get her," she said sternly. "Stay with Tilly. I want to check you over when I get back."

Pike nodded grimly. "Please hurry," he replied.

"She's-," Tilly began worriedly. "She's not dead, is she?"

"Nhan is strong," he said simply yet his eyes betrayed his concern. "She'll be all right."

OOOOOO

_Michael Burnham is dressed in a suit – a spacesuit. She frowns as she glances down at her gloved hands. Attached to her wrist is a display with fixed numbers. She tries to change the numbers but they are resetting themselves. _

_There are voices in her head, a lot of voices – some are familiar and some are not. She's not afraid, instead she's strangely comfortable withing the suit as she travels through space – perhaps even time. She lands on a grassland that seems very familiar but she can't place it. She scans her immediate surrounding area but finds no one. There are no buildings present here; only a large monument of some kind that stands so tall that it looks like it's reaching for the sky. There is an eerie feeling, the world feels dead and for an instant she is reminded of Talos IV. _

_She has this strange feeling that she knows what she's looking for; that she knows what she is doing here, but she can't exactly tell. _

_Suddenly there's a tall, thin alien standing next to her, his robe so dark that it rivals a black hole. He looks at her curiously with piercing purple eyes, then he nods at her and beckons her to come. _

_She glances up in the sky as a red signal bursts through the ground and manifest itself on the sky. She knows it is a homing beacon and, for some reason, she knows that it will lead her home. _

Doctor Hugh Culber shook his head sadly as he watched Michael's vital signs drop lower and lower into the danger zones. He couldn't reach her; he couldn't make her better. It was up to her now, to fight whatever it was that held her in its grip. As a doctor to be forced to watch someone's life slip through your fingers – especially a friend or colleague – was heartbreaking and he was a warm and kind, emotional man. There were days when he hated his job, they weren't many but they were enough.

He took a deep breath and pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure as he took another look at his patient. She seemed peaceful, serene, like she had found some beautiful place where she wanted to be.

Hugh looked at the empty doctor's office that he shared with Tracy Pollard and wondered if Captain Pike was still alive – if any of them were still alive.

OOOOOO

Nhan pressed the back of her hand lightly against her left implant, trying to get some more air. She refused to have survived being drowned only to perish in the desert heat. She had a headache from being deprived of the oxygen mix and her lungs felt stiff and sore, having been half-filled with water.

They had been walking for ages, the sun was blazing and the heat felt oppressive. Yet they pushed on in fear of being detected by teams of the Glory Guards. They had no way to go, no way to contact the _Discovery_. Their hope was to be able to force their way into one of the ground stations and shut down the jamming device.

Ensign Tilly was feeling all of her aches and she was parched. She summoned her strength of will and repeated a mantra over and over again in her head. _'Keep going, keep going, you can do this.'_

"We need to stop," Doctor Pollard managed between roughed breaths. "This is insane."

"The water is going to run out soon," Nhan reasoned. "The sooner we reach the ground station, the better."

"It will be heavily guarded-," Pike spoke up, his voice a mere whisper. He paused and blinked as it felt like he was stepping out over the edge of a cliff. However, it was his sense of motion that was off; his body having finally reached its limit. His legs folded beneath him and he collapsed to the ground, motionless.

"Oh, my goodness," Tilly gasped.

"Captain," Nhan called as she quickly bent down over him. "No, sir, please wake up."

Doctor Pollard gently knelt beside her fallen superior officer, emptying a hypo into his neck, hoping she wouldn't make it worse.

Spock curiously raised an eyebrow as he studied the doctor.

Feeling that he questioned her judgement, she tilted her head upwards to look at him. "It's a stimulus," she explained. "I hope it doesn't make it worse."

Voices seemed to call upon his attention but they were miles away and he was tired, so very tired. Everything hurt, just thinking hurt, and his nerves were frayed. He'd only experienced pain in quite this horrible way once before and that was when he'd been diagnosed with the Rigelian flu.

"Captain Pike," Tracy called softly as she ran her medical tricorder over him once more. "Christopher, please."

"Flu," he whispered, his eyes remaining closed.

The doctor frowned in confusion.

Nhan looked from Pike to Pollard, suddenly understanding what he'd meant. "Captain Pike once got the Rigelian flu," she explained. "Doctor Boyce cautioned that even if you survive the virus, you'd never get rid of it. It can continue to lay dormant in your system until it is triggered again."

Pollard nodded seriously. "Yes, the studies of the lethal virus are many but none of them have actually managed to confirm which factors that are crucial in making the virus reactivate," she replied.

"You think it has been reactivated?" Tilly asked curiously. "So, it was all a ruse? I mean the Sobralian government didn't try to kill the captain by placing an unknown contagion in his blood?"

"An interesting thought," Spock stated. "However, Michael has not contracted the Rigelian flu and there is a contagion in her blood as well."

"No, it feels like having the flu," Pike corrected, his voice barely audible.

"Then you're feeling pretty out of it," Pollard guessed softly.

He gave her a faint nod and his eyes opened to slits, searching for Nhan. He didn't have to look very far as she was bent over him, studying him with concern. "Nhan, as the most senior officer present, you need to take the team and go."

"No," she replied stubbornly. "We leave no one behind, Chris. That includes you – remember?"

"I-," he began and a rueful, bittersweet chuckle escaped his lips. "I can't go on. You have to leave me here."

"We can't leave you here, sir," Tilly heard herself say, still in shock that he would even suggest such a thing.

"That would be highly illogical, captain," Spock concurred.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn," Pike wheezed.

"Look who's talking, _sir_," Nhan said, emphasizing the word sir.

"It sounds like we're all in agreement, captain," Doctor Pollard summarized. "We're not going anywhere without you."

The Vulcan suddenly stiffened as his sensitive ears picked up the sound of footsteps. "Someone is coming," he cautioned.

Nhan straightened and drew her sidearm.

"Peace, let peace be brought upon you," the universal translator interpreted as a man, clad in what looked like simple woven clothes, came forward.

"Who are you?" Nhan demanded.

Several other men appeared behind the first. "It is all right," the first one assured them. "We're ka'pa'rans, we want to help."

"Tribespeople," Pike clarified, still flat on his back.

"It would seem that your leader is ill," the man noted.

Nhan stepped protectively closer to Pike as the newcomer took a step forward.

"We will not hurt him; we will not hurt any of you but you must come, you're in danger here," he urged.

"Come where?" Spock asked.

"To the village of Sa'bra'lo," he clarified. "My name is Ka'Tush, this is Ka'Noya, Ka'lock and Ka'saa."

"Pleased to meet you," Tilly said brightly. "I think."

OOOOOO

_To be continued _

_A/N: I couldn't resist to have Michael dream about the Araxians, sorry about that. For those of you who don't know who they are – check out my other story 'Pathogen'. _


	14. The Village of Sa'bra'lo

**Chapter Fourteen**

_The Village of Sa'bra'lo_

Commander Saru was at loss of what to do; how to proceed. There would be diplomatic ramifications if he decided to search for his commanding officer and the away team yet he could not leave without them.

He walked aimlessly around the ship until he suddenly ended up at a small lab adjoined with engineering. He walked in to stare at the brightly blue and sparkling time crystal which was situated in a small case next to a diagnostic terminal. The Kelpien tensed as he neared it; he could feel death coming.

Captain Pike had been very short in his tone when he'd gotten back from Boreth and practically showed the crystal into the hands of Commander Stamets before he simply vanished into his ready room for the rest of the evening. To say that the man was distressed was a slight understatement. Pike might not have allowed for the crew to see it but Saru had no trouble sensing it. However, he didn't want to push his superior officer for information, instead he reasoned that _if _and _when_ the captain was ready, he would share his experience with him. Now, after the away team had disappeared on the surface of Sobral he wondered why Captain Pike had been so adamant that they'd leave the place immediately. 'Was it something he'd seen?'

Saru reached out with his long, thin fingers but hesitated at the last minute, afraid of what he might get to see. Then he shook his head resolutely. "Starfleet officers do not fear the unknown," he said.

He gritted his teeth as the energy of the crystal pulsated through his body, grabbing hold of him, taking him to another time and another place.

He stands in a conference room on the _Enterprise_ and he tenses up as he realizes there is an undetonated torpedo next to him. He hears Katrina Cornwell's scratchy voice. _"We're out of time,"_ she says. _"We're out of time, out of time, out of time,"_ her voice echoes. He's startled and shakes his head. He sees the admiral looking intently at Captain Pike – both of them knowing this will be her final act. _"Whatever your path may be, you can handle it,"_ she assures him.

Saru is mortified as the time crystal once again shifts him out of sync with his own reality. His heart breaks as he sees his sister. She's looking at him – saying goodbye. He blinks and is about to say something to her when he's suddenly standing in a badly damaged corridor onboard the _Discovery_. Emperor Georgiou is fighting Leland – the AI – he corrects himself.

As he's about to collapse from the strain, feeling his knees grow weak, he finds himself sitting in the captain's chair once again. The ship is breaking apart all around him but time seems to stand still as he's looking through the main view screen at a red angel.

"_Goodbye,"_ Siranna whispers.

"_Goodbye,"_ Pike says emotionally.

"_This is not where your story ends,"_ Cornwell adds.

Saru gasps as he is disconnected from the crystal and falls backwards to the floor. He manages to prop himself up on one elbow; still stunned by the experience, unable to fully comprehend what he has been shown.

OOOOOO

It felt like walking into a museum of a sort. The village was picturesque, a few children were playing with toys outside and a woman was stirring into a large stew that cooked over open fire while two men gesticulated wildly at one another a bit further down the main dirt street, obviously engaged in a heated private conversation.

"This must have been reality on earth in the early 19th century," Tilly guessed. "I watched a movie once; it was called a western. You know, where they rode horses and carried crude guns and-," she paused. "I don't think they washed often either."

Pike snorted at that; he would be losing it soon if she didn't stop talking. He wondered if she realized how, unintentionally, funny she was during her ramblings. He chided himself. It wouldn't do for the commanding officer to begin laughing at his junior officer at a time like this.

Unfortunately, Nhan and Tracy Pollard did it instead but would later blame it on exhaustion. Spock carefully arched an eyebrow, probably in fascination. All of them were spent and weary after the day's events.

"Huh," the usually stern and yet humorous doctor voiced as she tried to gather herself. "Tilly," she whispered and shook her head.

Ka'Tush and Ka'Noya shared look of confusion as they glanced over their shoulders to find the alien team rather amused.

"Welcome to Sa'bra'lo," Ka'Tush said as he gestured for them to walk into what looked like an oversized igloo made up of textile.

To everyone's surprise it was clean, had several rooms, a power source and some kind of air-conditioning.

"This is what happens when you walk further into a museum," Tilly offered. "You walk into the next century. I am sorry, it's been a long day, you know – first almost abducted by those guards and then nearly crushed under a ton of rocks, then nearly drowned - just ignore me."

"I am a healer," Ka'Noya explained kindly as he nodded at Doctor Pollard, whom he now knew to be a medically trained woman. "This is my practice. Captain Pike will be much more comfortable over here."

The alien gestured for a bed in the next room.

"Interesting," Spock remarked. "Various kinds of healing trances are appliable throughout the Vulcan society."

Ka'Noya smiled. "I would be very interested to share with you the knowledge of healing," he said.

"Healing is a controversial subject," Doctor Pollard said seriously. "There have been several contemporary techniques which was supposed to aid recuperation but none of them has proven to be reliable."

"That is the reasoning of a – how do you say – a traditional doctor," Ka'Noya replied.

"No," Pollard shook her head. "I realize that is your polite way of telling me that my mind is closed, that I rely on medicine alone to assure the recovery of my patients. Let me tell you something. If I had been narrowminded and unable to think outside the box as we say – then I wouldn't have a posting onboard a starship."

"Captain Pike is suffering from an unknown contagion in his blood," Nhan explained. "It has nothing to do with his soul. Because, healing to you means to repair one's soul? Does it not?"

Spock turned to study Pike who was now resting on the bed, his eyes closed. He had sensed a change in the captain's being, Vulcans had the ability to do that, and he had understood that something had happened to his mentor at Boreth – something he obviously did not want to share with anyone. Perhaps he should offer to teach the captain the Vulcan mediation technique? To master it required complete focus, a will to explore your mindset, to be able to feel your body and understand your limitations. His mother had never used the technique and Michael had never perfected it but maybe Christopher had the strength inside him to be able to apply it?

"We don't mean to be ungrateful to you but we need to contact our people," Nhan said. "We believe the best chance of getting through to our ship would be to cease one of your ground stations."

"Can you take us there?" Tilly asked hopefully.

Ka'Tush pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure. "The military is very interested in keeping those to themselves," he answered. "It would require a small army to break into such a place."

Tilly thought back upon Pike, Spock and Nhan neutralizing the Glory Guards at the government building. "That wouldn't be a problem," she offered with a nervous smile. "We need to get back so we can stop that AI."

Ka'Noya studied her curiously for a moment. "What is an AI?" he asked.

"It is an artificial intelligence," Spock explained. "It is not born into this world the way species such as ours are. It is created by the minds of humans."

Ka'Tush harrumphed as he eyed the Vulcan wearily. "Then it has no soul," he pointed out. "If it has no soul, it cannot live."

"That has been up for debate," Spock replied. "There is no scientific evidence there is a soul present in a human either."

"There is more required to make a human healthy than chemicals." Ka'Noya pointed out.

"I am familiar with the term soul. It is considered to be a spiritual part of a human which is immortal," Spock cited. "Some refers to it as the mental capabilities conscribed to mankind. The consciousness, character and perception."

"Yet you claim it does not exist?" the healer asked with a frown.

Spock seemed to contemplate his words for a moment and then gave a faint nod. "On Vulcan we believe in the Katra. It has been debated for a long time whether it was a myth or if it really existed. I did not say the soul did not exist – I simply said that there was no scientific evidence of its existence."

"Even if the artificial intelligence has no soul, it possesses great analytical capabilities that rivals that of a human mind. It can make decisions in a millisecond. It can kill, subdue or neutralize a threat before an army of men can even react," Nhan said seriously.

"It does so on the initiative of another being. It kills or neutralize the threat without remorse, without considering ethics and moral," Ka'Tush pointed out.

"The man in charge of a human army; would he not send his men or women into danger and order them to kill their enemy as well?" The Vulcan asked. "The soldiers will have to perform their task regardless of their own feelings of moral and ethics."

"You are assuming the chain of command cannot be broken; cannot be questioned?" the healer stated.

"It is not logical to question the chain of command," the Vulcan reasoned evenly.

"If logic is the way of Vulcan life, you are not a spiritual man then, Lieutenant Spock?" Ka'Tush asked simply.

"We are all believers, it is just a matter of what we choose to believe in," Pike spoke up from the bed behind them.

"Wise words, captain. You shouldn't have come here. Sobral is not safe. Ever since the _Enterprise_ visited Sobaya two years ago there have been rumors and speculations about what really happened."

Pike blinked his eyes open in surprise at how much the man knew.

"We know more than you think, Captain Christopher Pike," Ka'Tush let on with twinkle in his eyes. "The Sobayan government believed they mastered everything; mastered the climate, lower standing people, diseases, Sobral and the solar system. Clearly they were wrong."

"The Sobralians blame Starfleet and the Federation for interfering with the planned negotiations with Sobaya which they had fair chance of winning. They want to avenge you for that. They want to make the Federation pay for turning up at their doorstep at what was considered to be a defining moment of history," Ka'Tush explained. "If they find you, they will use you as a leverage in a political game for all the wrong reasons. You are not safe here. You have to leave, return to your ship while you still can."

"That is the problem," Nhan replied. "They are jamming us."

"I am afraid that the captain's condition is deteriorating," Tracy informed regrettably as she looked at the medical tricorder, the only thing she'd managed to keep during their near drowning experience. "I don't know how to help."

Ka'Noya grimaced. "You mentioned earlier that there is an unknown contagion in his bloodwork. Christopher have all the symptoms of the Sorabraya Curse," he replied darkly. "There is nothing you can do."

"You see," Ka'Tush added darkly. "The Sorabraya Curse annihilated millions of people in the old days, it swept across the entire planet; planets actually. But it doesn't exist anymore, those who got infected by it and survived have long since developed an immunity which has been inherited for generations."

The away team looked at each other aghast.

"They knew we put an away team on the surface the moment we materialized," Nhan deduced coldly. "They deliberately infected him."

Spock nodded. "Precisely," he stated. "It seems someone wanted to kill the captain."

"No," Doctor Pollard reasoned. "There is a flaw in your logic. Governor Esha went out of her way to get Captain Pike to the surface."

Spock raised an impeccable eyebrow as he turned to face the doctor. "I did not say it was the government that wanted Captain Pike dead," he corrected.

"Captain Pike is here," Chris whispered bitterly, not liking the way they talked about him, over his head, instead of including him in the conversation.

"My apologies, sir," the Vulcan offered.

"Captain," Tilly said as she brightened, relieved to hear his voice again.

Doctor Pollard gently removed her two fingers from under his chin, satisfied with the pulse, and then proceeded to place the palm of her hand on his forehead. "Forgive my old fashion ways, sir," she said with a smirk. "I wanted to make sure the medical tricorder and I are in agreement."

"I-," he began diplomatically. "I'll have to admit I've only heard bits and pieces. Given the fact that we're not back onboard _Discovery,_ I'd guess we're still not able to make contact with them."

"The Sobralians are effectively jamming us," Spock explained. "We never made it to the ground station."

"It seems that, if the Glory Guards can't find us, they won't let _Discovery_ do so either," Nhan added sourly.

"I am not so sure…they are our enemy here," Pike whispered, biting back a moan as he shifted slightly on the bed.

"Please explain, captain?" Spock said.

"If the government of Sobral want to stage an uproar against Sobaya, what would they gain by killing me?" he argued. "They want the information and intel about Sobaya that we possess. But the-," he stopped speaking abruptly as he went into a coughing fit and then shivered from a fever spike. "-the truth-seekers-,"

"Easy, sir," Tracy said kindly as she placed her hands on his shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze. "Don't strain yourself."

He shook his head slightly, using precious of the little energy he had. "I didn't want to be dragged into this meaningless game of deception and deceit again," he said, his voice barely higher than a whisper.

"Fascinating," Spock stated, and if Pike didn't know any better, he'd say there was a faint upward curl to his lips as he quoted Number One. "Seems like this crazy game of chicken never really ends around here."

Pike began to laugh but it sounded more like he was choking as his eyes watered. Despite his condition there was amusement in his blue eyes as he tilted his head to look at his young Vulcan lieutenant. He could easily recall the look of confusion on Spock's face that day when Una had mentioned the human proverb the first time and the frustration seeping into the measured, already irritated, voice of his first officer as she tried to explain what she'd really meant.

"I suppose the cat is out of the bag too?" he replied with a faint smirk. "At least partly."

Spock nodded. "Letting the cat out of the bag is a colloquialism that means to reveal certain facts that has been previously hidden," he deadpanned.

Nhan shook her head at her teammates, a smile on her face, since she knew exactly when and where that discussion had originally started onboard the _Enterprise_.

"That makes sense," Tilly mused. "The _Galileo_ replica wasn't in the hands of the government. It was in possession of the truth-seekers. That shipyard we found-," she trailed of dumbfounded. "We've got it all wrong," she realized. "They lied to us."

"Please explain, ensign," Spock said.

"Well, they said the government wanted the captain as a leverage in the negotiations with the Sobayans but it was_ they_ who wanted that. It was _they_ who wanted the knowledge that Captain Pike possesses, not about the Sobayans but of Federation technology."

"They'd surely love to get their hands on someone who can operate the _Galileo_ replica when it is complete," Nhan added. "Captain Pike's background as a fighter pilot would be ideal – he's both an experienced leader and a seasoned pilot."

"Captain, please explain," Spock said. "Governor Esha also requested our cooperation in negotiating terms between Sobaya and Sobral. Is that a coincidence? If the government of Sobral is not our enemy, then what are they?"

"They are the enemy of our enemy," Pike said coldly. "They are, like the governor explained, afraid of a civil war. If the source of power is diminishing and the government decides to hand us dilithium crystals at the same time as the people feels oppressed by the Sobayan way of life, which is now forced upon them, that could act as a catalyst for the already tense situation amongst the groups."

"But by giving us the dilithium they'd save themselves," Tilly reasoned.

"They do not believe a threat of such proportions as the AI poses exists, ensign," Spock replied. "If they do not believe it, they cannot be afraid of it and they will not take actions to stop it."

"This entire Solar System is a nightmare," Pike muttered, too tired for diplomacy and fed up with both missions to the sector.

Pollard harrumphed, the corner of her mouth cautiously twitching upwards, as she turned to look at him closely where she sat, at his bedside. His skin had a sickly greyish color and his blue, usually sparkling, eyes were dulled. Despite his condition she couldn't help herself as she spoke up in a slightly teasing tone of voice. "Very diplomatic, captain," she said.

Idle mischief sparked in his eyes for a moment as a very faint dimpled smile appeared on his face. He was not slow to catch on and he was not giving up just yet. He found that he liked the good doctor's humor and he was glad she had it in her to light up the mood despite their current predicament. He knew he wasn't exactly a 'model patient'.

"Ka'Tush," Nhan said seriously. "We need to contact our people; we need to get to one of the ground stations. I'll ask you again - Can you lead us there?"

He nodded grimly. "On one condition – Captain Pike stays with Ka'Noya."

"That is not an option," Nhan replied resolutely in a no-nonsense tone of voice. "We are not leaving our commanding officer."

Tilly watched the chief of security with concealed curiosity. Normally, they wouldn't leave anyone behind but the tribespeople offering the sick captain a safe place to stay where he would also be attended until they could get back appeared logical to her. She carefully spared a glance at Spock who didn't protest at all. There was something she was missing here – she just didn't know what it was.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	15. The Truth-Seekers

**Chapter Fifteen**

_The Truth-Seekers _

Detmer sighed as she sat down at the table in the mess hall next to Owo. Bryce and Rhys took the seats opposite the two women. The helmsman started to poke around the plate as Nilsson pulled up a chair at the end of the table.

The blonde lieutenant glanced around the table. "You're a cheerful bunch," she noted. "I thought I would be better off here with you than if I sat alone over there."

"I am not hungry," Keyla offered sadly as she stared at her food. "It's not that I don't like it. I use to love this but-," she trailed off and sighed. "With everything that has been going on lately, I've lost my appetite."

"Yeah," Bryce chimed in as he nodded. "Feels like my stomach is churning."

"You've got to eat and keep fit," Owo reasoned as she took a mouthful of vegetables. "Besides, everything is going to sort itself out."

"Joann," Detmer turned to her, looking overly skeptical. "Captain Pike, Doctor Pollard, Ensign Tilly, Lieutenant Spock and Commander Nhan are missing. Commander Burnham is in sickbay, fighting for her life. Our dilithium crystals, powering our warp core, have burned out. We're orbiting a planet with capability to blast us out of the sky and we can't leave because there's just not enough power. We can't jump away because Commander Stamets can't navigate the Mycelial Network so close to the phenomena."

"Don't forget that the AI is waiting for us," Bryce suggested.

Nilsson actually smirked at the grand picture of doom. "Where have you been the last hour?" she asked. "Haven't you heard that the phenomena is fading?"

"Fading?" Rhys asked quizzically.

"As in - phasing out of existence?" Bryce added and then nodded. "So, Tilly guessed right all along?"

"We don't know how long it is going to take for it to disappear though," Nilsson cautioned. "I'm coming from the spore drive hub and Paul says the interference is almost gone now. We might be able to use the system within a day or two."

Detmer spiked a small creamy cheese with her fork, her mood suddenly brightening.

They all looked up in surprise as the lights turned brighter above them.

Nilsson broke into a relieved smile. "The diagnostic has been completed and all power have been restored throughout the ship. When I passed Jett on the way here, she was humming as she made the final adjustments to the power grid. I don't think I've ever seen her in such a good mood."

The tension and hopelessness that had manifested itself amongst the members around the table diminished.

"Now we only need to find the away team and think of some way to stop the contagion from killing Commander Burnham," Rhys reasoned.

Keyla swallowed. "If Michael is that sick," she began, not really sure she wanted to share her concerns as she knew it would dampen the mood. "What about Captain Pike?"

OOOOOO

"Captain," Spock said as he gently eased him down on the ground, next to a pine tree. "You'll have to stay here.

Tracy sat down next to him and nodded at Spock to go and join the others. She watched as Nhan, Tilly, Spock and the four tribesmen they'd met earlier stealthily made their way closer to the ground station.

The doctor sighed as she sadly noticed that Captain Pike's condition was once again deteriorating. He had been getting worse and then better all the time so far but now – there was not even in inkling, nothing, that pointed in a positive direction. His skin was ashen, hot and clammy to touch, his pulse was weak and he was now slowly drifting slowly in and out of consciousness. She realized she was sitting next to a dying man; a brave, kind man with a physique rivalling an athlete. This wasn't supposed to happen. "Christopher," she said kindly. "Don't do this to me, not after everything we've been through."

OOOOOO

"We're all set to go," Lieutenant Barnes, the stand in for Nhan, reported seriously.

Saru nodded calmly as he watched the five, very determined, men and women from security as they stood on the transporter pads.

"_Bridge to transporter room,"_ Ensign Redmond called, there was barely concealed excitement and relief in her voice. _"We have contact with the landing party. I repeat – we have contact with the landing party." _

Saru couldn't even begin to tell how relieved he felt. He broke into a smile as he made his way over to the intercom panel on the wall. "Bridge, this is Commander Saru. Affirmative. Can you patch me through to them?"

"_Stand by," _Redmond said.

"_Commander Saru,"_ Nhan's voice came across the line, loud and clear. _"Have the transporter lock on to us immediately. We have a medical emergency and we don't know how long we can keep the jamming signal off."_

"Understood," Saru replied as he turned around and nodded at the assembled search and rescue team.

Lieutenant Barnes scrambled off the pad and the others soon followed. They took up position next to the transporter technician and waited; eager for their missing colleagues to return.

The technician hesitated. "There is a lot of interference, a lot of other people in the near vicinity. I can isolate all except for Commander Nhan."

"Commander," Saru called. "We can't isolate you."

"_I want you to lock on to my signal and beam us up, I don't have time to explain, I need you to do it now,"_ she commanded steely.

"Beaming seven," the technician said.

"Commander Saru to Doctor Culber," the Kelpien called over the intercom. "Please report to the transporter room immediately."

The familiar whirr and hum of the transporter spooled up and a few seconds later the quintet plus two alien men appeared on the platform. The team were dusty and dirty, their uniforms sported ruined seams and blotches and they all appeared to be exhausted. However, one person still stood out from the rest; he was sitting on the pad with his head in the doctor's lap, his eyes closed.

Saru froze. He could feel death coming but he had seen Captain Pike say goodbye in his vision. He vividly recalled everything he'd seen when he'd touched the time crystal. 'Could he no longer trust his senses?' he wondered.

"You have been deceiving us," Nhan said coldly as she turned to Ka'Noya.

He frowned. "I have no idea what you mean," he deadpanned.

"You know of this technological world. You know of complex medical terms – something a simple healer would not," she stated and narrowed her eyes as she fixed him with a glare. "You should both stop claiming you're nothing but simple tribesmen. You are all part of the Truth-Seekers. That's why you have been following us from a distance ever since the Glory Guards blew your smuggling tunnel sky-high."

"Commander Nhan?" Saru asked worriedly, trying to dampen her chiding a bit, afraid of diplomatic issues. "Who are these people?"

Doctor Culber suddenly rushed through the door with a few orderlies hot on his tail. He was high on adrenaline, having been running across the ship to get to the transporter room. He took one look at his colleague's dejected face and felt a knot form in his stomach.

The room felt silent.

Tracy Pollard shook her head as she realized Hugh thought Pike was dead. "He is alive," she assured her friend and colleague. "But he needs medical attention immediately."

Both the medical team and the security team sprang into action, helping each other, the captain was whisked away within seconds.

Tilly sat down with a thud on the platform, she was convinced she would never get up again. She felt empty and drawn, hollow, as all the adrenaline left her. She stared at a spot on the wall, not really seeing anything.

"They are ka'pa'rans," Nhan answered Saru coldly, her eyes not leaving Ka'Noya. "While that might be true, they neglected to mention that they're also part of a group calling themselves the Truth-Seekers."

Tilly was abruptly brought out of her stupor and glanced up in surprise, now she understood why Nhan had refused to leave the captain in their care.

"Let's continue this conversation in sickbay," Saru suggested. "You all look a little worse for wear. I'd like for you to get a clean bill of health."

Ka'Noya turned to Nhan, finally answering her question. "Actually, I've never said I wasn't anything but a simple healer," he replied stiffly. "I never said I was born a ka'pa'ran and it wasn't a smuggling tunnel."

"From what you have been telling us. I would estimate some kind of profession in an advanced medical department," Spock suggested. "You know of the Glory Guards and you are well-versed in the politics of this world. I would concur with Commander Nhan's statement. That is not consistent with being a simple tribesman."

"Fifteen years ago, I was the head of medicine at the main hospital facility at Santan, the capital of Sobral; the city you left earlier," Ka'Noya revealed. "I saw people die because of mistreatment, because they treated, not the whole being, only their physiological condition. I learned of the tradition of healing from my grandfather and decided to start a new life – far away from the old one. I didn't like the way things were going, what the government did or how the society became more and more demanding and controlling. I wasn't the only one who wanted another kind of life. You'd be surprised how enlightened the tribesmen are."

"So, none of you are tribespeople, are you?" Nhan asked curiously.

"There are no natives of this world, Commander Nhan," Ka'Tush revealed seriously from where he stood behind her in the turbolift.

"That would explain why you're not overly confused or overwhelmed by this level of technology," Saru remarked.

"I am sorry. I think you lost me there," Tilly said.

"Sobral wasn't capable of generating life on its own. Life was planted here," Ka'Tush explained darkly. "For as long as I've lived, I've tried to find out the true story. Unfortunately, researching the old days are controversial. The records that I've managed to find all start at what Sobralians call year zero. It is the year of rebirth, the awakening after the plague that decimated all life on the planet - only the strong survived."

"Before that, there is a period that stretches over several centuries called the darkness," Ka'Noya added as the turbolift came to a stop. "The history of that period of time is said to be stored deep down in the chambers below the center of Santan, in a sealed vault that is welded shut with a technology not even the most advanced cutter can open. That's the place Vod'No tried to lead you too. It had nothing to do with smuggling stolen technology."

"Perhaps it can be accessed with Federation technology," Spock suggested as they entered sickbay.

"Perhaps," Ka'Noya echoed. "But the area was flooded centuries ago. Besides, you would never be granted access there from the governor. The Truth-Seekers secretly created a tunnel under the bottom of the lake but as you know, the Glory Guards blew the tunnel _and_ them to pieces."

"Nearly us too," Tilly muttered.

"I believe a call to the governor would be prudent," Saru reasoned diplomatically. "To let her know that we've found our missing crewmembers and captain."

"Right," Hugh said softly where he stood next to the captain's bedside. "The rest of you are not getting out of here without a clean bill of health. Who's first?"

"I would suggest that you start by examining our alien visitors," Spock said. "Apparently they know of this 'Sorabraya Curse' which has affected both Captain Pike and Commander Burnham."

"And I told you –," Ka'Noya protested, "-there is no cure to it. Only the strong survives."

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	16. The Raiders

**Chapter Sixteen**

_The Raiders _

Ka'Lock and Ka'Saa blinked in bewilderment as they materialized on the transporter pads onboard the _USS Discovery_. Two officers dressed in the same dark blue uniform as Captain Pike's assistant, Ensign Tilly, greeted them politely.

The older of them, a slim woman with short dark hair and brown eyes nodded at the newly arrived Sobralians. "Just the two I was looking for," she drawled. "Commander Nhan sends her regards. She suggested that we should save you from your own lovely guard patrol."

Ka'Lock and Ka'Saa shared a cautious look, not sure what to make of this new development.

"Forgive my manners. I am Commander Jett Reno and this fellow next to me is Lieutenant Joe Lesley."

The man, in his mid-thirties, nodded slightly at the acknowledgement. Lesley was lean but certainly not lanky and while he might not come off as a poster boy, he wasn't all that bad looking. He was by human standards tall, dark and roguishly handsome.

"They did intent to lock us up somewhere deep in the dungeons I believe," Ka'Lock offered with a tight smile.

"Did the team arrive safely onboard too?" Ka'Saa asked, assuming he was standing deep inside the bowels of a spaceship. "We are on a ship now, are we not?"

"Welcome onboard the _USS Discovery_," Reno announced proudly and lazily waved her hand. "Look, I am not going to stand here and beat around the bushes-,"

Lesley tried to keep his face fairly neutral at the very confused look on the aliens faces. "Commander," he called kindly, covering most of his amusement at his superior officer's directness. "I don't think they're familiar with human proverbs."

"Probably not," she deduced. "Okay, I'll get straight to the point then. I am an engineering specialist and Lieutenant Lesley is a colleague of mine who's well-versed in tactical engineering. Commander Nhan tells me you are part of a smaller radical group who wants to change history."

"Correct it might be a better word," Ka'Saa said.

"Intriguing enough," Reno commented. "There is just one thing; if you want to change history, why steal the blueprints of a shuttle? Personally, I would have gone for the schematics of the flagship."

"Starfleet technology seemed very reliable," Ka'Lock admitted. "We were not directly involved in Vod'No's actions, or his reasonings at the time, but I believe he thought it would be helpful in aiding us in our quest."

She shrugged at that. "The I guess he must have been disappointed in learning that a shuttle doesn't have the firepower, shields or engine power necessary to stay in space for very long. Away from its mothership it's a vulnerable thing. But the main reason you wanted it was to study the technology and somehow, someway, use it to crack your little vault open – wasn't it?"

Ka'Saa nodded grimly. "It is of great importance to us to understand where we come from," he admitted. "So that we one day might travel there."

"Well, if you behave, work with us and tell us everything you know then we might be able to help out," Reno volunteered.

"You really would do that?" Ka'Lock asked hopefully.

"The Glory Guards would have reactivated their jamming equipment by now," Ka'Saa cautioned.

"That won't be much of a problem," Lesley informed. "The team will take a shuttle to the vault. _Discovery_ will provide cover fire if necessary."

"I believe that Ka'Tush will be able to provide you with enough information about how the ground stations works so that you could avoid detection during the decent," Ka'Lock volunteered.

Reno broke into a cunning grin. "I like it when it's a little tricky, a little dangerous, and a huge challenge," she said jovially as she clasped her hands.

OOOOOO

_He was staring at himself, not the mirror-image of himself but a broken man in a wheelchair, and he felt the hair at the back of his neck rise at the eerie feeling. Christopher Pike shuddered – he was not afraid of this vision anymore but he was overcome by emotions. A part of him refused to believe that this gravely injured man was really him. A part of him wished it was just a wicked illusion – a test created by the monks at Boreth, but something told him this was real. The time crystal had not only showed him, it had placed him there. His body had been in a state of flux in which he had experienced the pain – physical and psychological - of his final cage. _

_Chris seldom experienced panic, he was level-headed and calm under pressure. However, this time, in his fever delirium, he could not keep it at bay and somewhere far away he heard alarms blaring. _

Doctor Pollard was at her captain's side in an instant, carefully monitoring him. She let out a curse under her breath as several of the vital parameters had dropped considerably on the scales.

"Tracy," Hugh called softly as he walked up to stand opposite her, at the other side of Pike's bedside. "There is nothing more you can do. Please go and have some sleep. You're exhausted."

She shook her head resolutely. "I can't," she whispered, her eyes still on the pale face before her. "You can't ask that of me, Hugh, not now, not after everything-," she sighed, never finishing the sentence.

He gently placed a hand on his colleague's shoulder.

OOOOOO

"This is actually better than shore leave," Reno said jovially as she zipped up her wetsuit and then thoughtfully added. "There are no sharks or anything like it here, right?"

Ka'Lock and Ka'Saa, the former superintendent at the science council and the former historian assistant chief respectively shared an amused smile at the blunt engineer in the back of the Starfleet shuttle.

"If you see any creatures, Commander Jett Reno, they will be more afraid of you than you are of them," Ka'Lock assured her.

"This feels like the treasure hunt I embarked on when I was twenty," Rhys spoke up excitedly as he finalized his visual checkup of the diving gear, in case they'd need it later.

"Huh," Reno remarked dryly. "And how old are you now, kiddo?"

Lieutenant Detmer laughed and shook her head as she submerged the shuttle into the Sobralian turquoise sea. "What are we looking for exactly?" she asked as she smoothly eased the small vessel toward the vault.

"Something that can shed some light on our old history," Ka'Saa replied brightly with anticipation. Some rumors say it's scrolls, others refer to it as a leather-bound book of a sort."

"Told you – a treasure hunt," Rhys said and blinked mischievously.

"Then, for your sake, I really hope this vault is watertight," Reno said.

"I'll back us up and use the modified force field to create a dry passage to the sealed door so that you can examine it," Detmer explained.

Reno smirked. "According to the metallurgic data we've got from our friends over here-," she waved lazily at the two Sobralians, "- I'd say we need to apply a moderate force to crack it open and even then, I'm not sure we can manage it."

"Please, use whatever force you need, just make sure you don't break up the entire chamber," Ka'Saa cautioned.

OOOOOO

"This is quite intriguing," Hugh said in astonishment as he narrowed his eyes to stare at the magnification before him. He entered a series of commands into the computer and waited.

Tracy shook off the weariness, her interest peaking. She had refused to leave and decided to take a nap in one of the chairs at the back of the medical office. Culber's excited voice aroused her from a troubled sleep. She shrugged out of the blanket he must have placed over her shoulders after she'd fallen asleep and made her way over to him.

They had taken samples of both Ka'Noya and Ka'Tush the moment they'd gotten back onboard as they thought their best chance of stabilizing the captain and commander would come from singling out the natural antibodies the Sobralians had developed against the Sorabraya Curse several generations ago. It had not been an easy task even though medicine was advanced nowadays. There were still a lot of things to cross-reference, match and translate between human and Sobralian physiology.

"What is it?" Tracy asked as she rubbed her tired eyes.

Three nurses, one DNA specialist and a medical research analyst quickly joined the CMO and Doctor Pollard around the glass display.

"It's all about the human genome," Hugh answered as he studied the display.

Nurse Poloski nodded as she made the connection. "The Human Genome Project," she stated. "It was the beginning of a new era back in the 1990s."

The DNA specialist Gaby Button smiled. "I remember reading a very nuanced articles about that from its time. It took nearly fifteen years to complete but led to the determination of the entire DNA sequence concerning the entire human genome."

"Is it actually true that a single nucleotide change in a single gene can be responsible for causing an outbreak of a disease?" Doctor Pollard asked curiously.

Button nodded. "Understanding the human genome sequence led to major breakthroughs but it gave no insight into disease prevention. However, one important discovery was that the human nucleotide sequence is nearly identical between two different individuals."

"And here's what's amazing," Doctor Culber explained as he pointed at the screen. It showed the genome setup from Earth and the genome setup for the Sobralians side-to-side.

Tracy frowned, perplexed at what she was seeing. "They look almost the same," she mused.

"The analysis has been running three times," Culber replied softly. "What we see here can only mean one thing. Despite the distance, and our different evolution, we must have a similar gene pool."

Tracy nodded. "That is consistent with our two Sobralian's theory that life didn't originate on Sobral – perhaps it did not come from Sobaya either?"

"Even though this is very exciting news," Button began seriously, "It does not help our captain and commander."

The mood instantly turned somber again as their gazes landed upon their two critical patients.

Button narrowed her eyes as she glanced at the screen again, she sighed as she leaned forward in her chair, put her elbow on the lab bench before her and let her head come to rest in the palm of her hand. "We are missing something," she mused. "We've all assumed this is some kind of a mutation of a virus whose origin was not human. Let us assume that a virus entered the bodies of the population here and orders the cells to start replicate things according to a new recipe – while doing so, there's a lot of cell damage that can't be repaired properly and the most likely outcome is severe sickness and/or possible death."

"According to Ka'Noya it almost eradiated the populations of the two planets," Tracy said seriously.

Button made a face as she set her jaw. The specialist glanced around the small group, her features grim, her eyes cold. "What if I told you that this condition is engineered?"

"What?" Doctor Culber said.

"What are you saying? That someone deliberately killed most of the population?" Doctor Pollard asked astounded.

Button turned to the doctor with a morose expression on her face. "You all know that the human body is a spectacular thing, capable of defense beyond our recognition and comprehension. However, there are times when several systems within the body are disturbed or interrupted while completing their daily routines. Look at the human genome for example; it consists of 3.2 billion base-pairs. Therefore, DNA damage is very common, in fact it happens every single day. The cells usually have a way to fix most of the problems that arises. In this case, the engineered virus hands the cells a different type of blueprint. It overrides normal production and speed up the efficiency of the manufacturing process. The cells – the factories – believe this is the correct procedure and so instead of rectifying this production mistake and healing the damages, which appears because of these new blueprints, they drive the system into the ground."

"Total system collapse," Nurse Pollard deduced.

"Yeah," Button replied. "However, somewhere along the line, a long time ago, some of the factories realized this was wrong. They cut the production rate, changed the merchandize around a bit and survived."

Hugh smirked. "Commander Reno would have loved that analogy," he said.

"I'm sorry, I was a teacher for a long time at the Industry Foundation in London, Earth, before I decided to embark on a mission amongst the stars," she said kindly.

"How can we isolate that particular mutation and stop the virus from killing our people?" Pollard asked carefully. "We don't have fifteen years to spare; I am not sure we have fifteen minutes."

"The Federation have lot of material we can use so we don't have to start from scratch." Button explained. "The medical database is vast and there are similarities to other types of gene mutations. Now, since we have the virus and probably the means to stop it onboard, I believe we can have a test type ready within an hour."

OOOOOO

"Discovery, this is Phoenix," Detmer called.

"_Go ahead lieutenant,"_ Bryce replied.

"Could you patch us through to engineering?" she asked.

"_You're good to go,"_ the communication's officer offered.

Keyla looked at Jett who nodded in return and headed up to the co-pilot's seat. "Lieutenant Lesley, this Commander Reno," she began.

"_Yes ma'am,"_ he answered somewhat enigmatically. _"Is it time for plan B?"_

She chuckled faintly. "Yeah, and I want it to create a marvelous, contained explosion," she drawled.

"Forgive me, can someone tell us what's going on?" Ka'Lock asked.

"I'm clearing the blast zone now," Detmer informed.

Reno tilted her head backwards, smirking. "We're going to drop a little bomb at your doorstep. It's called a photon torpedo. It would generate just enough force to rattle the cage a bit. Then we'd be able to use our cutting gear in the back of the shuttle to pop the hinges." She smirked and carefully added under her breath; "Assuming the place is still standing."

OOOOOO

Saru was nursing a headache as he made his way down to sickbay, wondering how he would be able to diplomatically soothe over allowing his ship to fire a on the planet without provocation. There hadn't been time to talk it through with the governor and people in the near vicinity would probably mistake it for an act of war. He had given Commander Reno authorization to do whatever was required to break into the historical records on Sobral; he just hadn't expected her ingenuity to be quite so _explosive_.

He sighed, _Discovery_ was now at Red Alert and all shields had been raised. He did not trust the Sobralians and expected to be fired upon at any second. He figured he had to sort that out later; right now he was on his way to see if there had been any progress in the medical department.

"_Bridge to Commander Saru,"_ Bryce called over the ship-wide channel.

The Kelpien sighed as he stopped just outside sickbay and activated the com panel situated on the wall of the corridor. "Bridge. This is Saru," he replied.

"_Sir, there's an urgent call for you from the Sobralian government,"_ Bryce reported.

Saru carefully glanced around and found the corridor empty at the moment. "Reroute it to this com," he ordered. "I'll take it from here."

Seconds later Governor Esha's voice came over the line. _"Commander Saru, you have committed an act of treason!"_ she said seriously.

"My apologies, Governor Esha, if it appears that way," he began diplomatically. "However, I can assure you we had no illicit intent. You, on the other hand, tried to kidnap my commanding officer and his team."

"_That is absurd,"_ she protested.

"I regret to inform you that Captain Pike, Commander Nhan, Lieutenant Spock, Doctor Pollard and Ensign Tilly are now safely back onboard this vessel," he stated calmly. "Now, there are issues that needs to be resolved between us. I suggest that you prepare for transport onto _Discovery_ at once so that we can settle our disagreements diplomatically."

"_I refuse to board your starship. I require neutral ground,"_ she demanded coldly.

"I can assure you, governor, that we are not going to kidnap you. If you were about to suggest that negotiations should take place at Sobaya –," he paused, smiling to himself. "- I'll be happy to inform you that Chancellor La'co has already accepted my invitation to come aboard the _Discovery_."

There was a moment of silence and he could hear an indistinct chatter over the channel before she spoke up again.

"_Very well, Commander Saru. I accept your invitation." _

OOOOOO

Culber held up the ampule against the light and studied the slightly violet liquid as Commander Saru walked through the door. Without a word and with a grim look on his face he attached it to the hypo with a soft click. He took a deep breath and hesitated as he looked at the unconscious form of the captain, noticing blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. Hugh prayed he wasn't too late. He emptied the contents of the hypo in Pike's throat and carefully tilted his head upwards to study the medical display above the bed. Seconds turned into minutes and his mood plummeted as nothing happened. The vitals remained stubbornly in the critical zone.

"No," Tilly whispered with a stricken look on her face.

"Come on, captain," Nhan whispered.

Saru bowed his head downwards, he was still feeling the coming of death. He swallowed and forced a deep breath down his lungs, gathering himself. "Doctor Culber," he said calmly. "Please, notify me of any changes, in any direction."

Hugh nodded dejectedly.

Ka'Noya studied the humans at some distance, still marveling at the level of technology around him. While he considered the citizens of the capital of Sobral enlightened and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, he considered them to bleach in comparison. This was only a ship and he found himself wondering what a hospital of the Federation looked like.

As an expert in the medical field a long time ago; before he'd decided to start a more simplistic and holistic life in the village of Sa'bra'lo, he watched the readings above the captain's head with interest. Mentions of the Sorabraya Curse had been hand-painted deep inside the old caves outside the city several thousands of years ago, when the world had been young and the healers lacked modern technology to fight it properly. Therefore, there was no record of the pathogen; how it appeared, how it broke down the infected bodies. The only thing that had been found was a simple, crude mention of a death toll. Interested in history, he had tried to research the story of the curse brought upon the people of Sobral a long time ago but he hadn't really gotten anywhere.

The former medical expert had had much help from Ka'Tush, the former government employee, when researching the old archives and he remembered vividly that day, three years ago, when Ka'Tush had gotten back late at night, his face pale and his voice hollow. That day he had put a lot of research and interviews together and realized that life on Sobral wouldn't have existed unless someone had planted it there.

Ka'Noya looked at Captain Pike, silently wondering what the aliens looked like; those who'd planted the seed of life on his planet. He was so caught up in his inner turmoil of the last couple of days events that he didn't register the change at first. He frowned as his old medical training kicked in. He was no specialist in alien physiology but their species was fairly alike.

The alien healer and former medical expert hastily made his way across the room to the doctor's office. "Doctor Pollard, Doctor Culber," he called. "I think you'd better come and see."

Hugh stared in bewilderment at the captain who gingerly propped himself up on an elbow. "Captain?" he called warmly. "Captain Pike."

"How are you feeling?" Tracy asked kindly as she moved over to raise part of his bed so that he would be more comfortable.

"If this is hell, I am surprised," he croaked. "If this is heaven, I think I am disappointed."

"Christopher," she admonished fondly. "This is the land of the living. It's nice of you to rejoin us."

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	17. Negotiations

**Chapter Seventeen **

_Negotiations _

Saru straightened and clasped his hands behind his back as the Sobayan Chancellor beamed onboard.

La'co Soare appeared both amused and in awe at the same time as the transporter released its grip around him.

La'co glanced around the room, his lips quirking slightly upwards. "Very generous of you to offer us a glimpse of your technology, Commander Saru," he said appreciatively. "I had hoped Captain Pike would have invited us two years ago but I suppose, after everything that happened, he didn't really trust us."

"I believe, chancellor, that you told the captain that Starfleet and the Federation was not welcome back here unless summoned?" Saru enquired and then diplomatically added. "Welcome onboard the _USS_ _Discovery_."

"It was a trying time; still is actually," he explained as he stepped down from the transporter pad. "People are afraid of aliens, especially technologically advanced aliens such as yourself. Not to mention the variety in your appearance."

That elicited a small smile from the Kelpien as he thought back upon his own past as a tribesman of Kaminar. "In the end, it will come down to the perceptiveness and the will to change your views of the world," he offered. "And, of course, if you are ready to question your values or not."

"In other words, you do not approve of our ways to incorporate the Sobralians into Sobayan way of life. Instead you believe that we should uphold their ways in order to keep them from rioting against us?" he asked enigmatically and then nodded.

"Commander," the technician called. "Governor Esha of Sobral is ready to beam up."

"Very well, proceed," Saru acknowledged.

Within seconds the transporter was once again brought back to life, gently delivering the world leader on the platform, engulfed in a swirling golden light.

Governor Esha took a moment to steady herself and get her bearings but then quickly straightened and turned to glare at the Kelpien. "Commander Saru," she called while ignoring Chancellor La'co's presence in the room. "I find this highly unacceptable."

"Likewise," Saru replied diplomatically. "I am holding you directly responsible for the dire situation my commanding officer is in at the moment and our highly respected science officer."

La'co frowned and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Esha. "Is Captain Pike aboard this vessel? Has she done something to him?" he asked, his tone of voice admonishing. "Commander Saru, I am afraid that since Captain Pike is onboard, he is the ranking officer and therefore the dialogue between our people must be held in his presence. I cannot accept your authority."

The Kelpien had accepted this behavior since Lieutenant Spock had briefed them about their way of life and the chain of command which could not be broken or questioned.

"I am afraid that Captain Pike is very sick at the moment. It's something I believe he's picked up at Sobral," he replied evenly with a hint of accusation in his voice as he tilted his head to look at Governor Esha. "However, I am sure you're both familiar with something called the 'Sorabraya Curse'."

Chancellor La'co stiffened at the mention of it. "The touch of death," he summarized sadly. "I am sorry for your loss. Christopher was a great man."

Saru felt his anger rising inside him but caught himself. "Captain Pike is not dead yet," he corrected curtly. "Please, come this way."

OOOOOO

"I understand that they have faith in my recovery," Pike remarked with a hint of morbid amusement as he listened in to the greetings in the transporter room on a private channel.

Tracy rolled her eyes as she appeared next to him and pointed at the earbuds. "Take those out immediately," she admonished. "Who gave you those in the first place?"

Pike looked mildly put out even though he heard the slightly teasing undertone in the doctor's stern voice. He could hardly keep his eyes open but he really wanted to hear this out.

Doctor Pollard took notice of the vitals on the monitor behind the biobed and breathed a sigh of relief as they were slowly, but steadily, returning to normal. The captain was still pale as a ghost and perspiration covered his forehead and upper lip but he was on the mend. "You must have a will of steel," she said kindly, offering a slight smile. "You never give up do you?"

He forced his blue eyes open and tilted his head to look at her, his expression a mixture of sadness and determination. "In my line of work, at the edge of known space, I can't give up. I have responsibilities to my ship, my crew and the Federation."

"Maybe you could allow yourself to take a break?" Tracy suggested. "If you aren't well enough to lead the crew out of danger, you'll be neglecting your duties, would you not?"

Pike snorted lightly. "Touché, I guess," he whispered and deactivated the earbuds, handing them over.

The doctor smiled at him. "I thought you'd come to your senses," she said.

"You need to rest too, doc," he said. "Go and take care of yourself."

The captain had already closed his eyes so he couldn't see it but she nodded anyway. "Fair enough," she said kindly. He was better now, not in danger anymore, so maybe she could finally allow herself to rest as well. Hugh kept a close eye on Michael and she was improving as well. Tracy took one last glance at Pike before she turned to leave. She unbuttoned the collar of her uniform and zipped it open at the top, then ran a hand through her hair and sighed as she wearily went to her quarters.

OOOOOO

"_Force field enabled,"_ the onboard computer reported dutifully onboard the _Phoenix_.

Detmer nodded at the back. "You're cleared to go," she informed.

Reno made the thumbs up over her shoulder and nodded at Rhys. "Everything set?" she asked.

"I'm as ready as I can be," he answered.

The engineer knocked on the door and smiled. "Piece of cake," she said. "Give me the cutter."

Ka'Lock and Ka'Saa shared a look of wonder.

A minute later Reno stepped back and pretended to blow the door away with her mouth. Rhys rolled his eyes as it hit the ground with a thud.

"Open Sesame," Reno said theatrically.

The four of them, Reno, Rhys and the two Sobralians, entered the vault while Detmer made sure the force field was stable and adjusted the _Phoenix_ to the strong currents.

The engineer stopped mid-step as she entered the chamber and glanced around in bewilderment. The level of technology rivalled that of what was top-side on the planet, perhaps even Starfleet. That made no sense since the vault had been sealed thousands of years ago. "I don't know about you but I don't think this is Sobralian technology," she remarked.

Ka'Saa, the historian assistant chief, shook his head as he took a step forward. "No," he said seriously. "This chamber, or vault, has eluded us for as long as I can remember. History has been, still is actually, a subject of controversy. The idea that we don't originate from here is a forbidden thought."

Reno nodded. "I might have been a little bit upset too if I'd found out I wasn't from Earth originally. Shall we go and have a looksee?" she asked.

"I would be delighted," Ka'Saa replied with a smile.

OOOOOO

During a crisis the flow of time seem to slow, or propel forward at a tremendous rate, depending on your level of distress and/or anxiety caused by the crisis. Therefore, none of the crewmembers onboard the _Discovery_ paid much attention to the hour of the day.

The corridors had shifted from being cascaded by the red hue from the red alert call out, several hours ago, and then proceeded to the glow of yellow alert. The heightened state from normal ship operations had become natural over the last couple of hours. There was a danger in that because no one could be kept at their toes, on high alert, for very long. However, the situation was quite dire with everything going on, both onboard the ship and down on the surface at Sobral.

Nilsson carefully monitored the various instruments next to the spore drive hub and the studied the troubled look on Paul Stamets' face – or was it a pained expression?

"Commander," she called. "Are you okay in there?"

He disconnected himself from the drive unit and shook his head slightly. "I'm fine, just frustrated. I can see a lot better, navigate a lot better but there is still interference. I would have thought that with so much of the phenomena phased-," he let the sentence hang in the air.

"Just a few hours more then?" she asked hopefully. "Then we can leave?"

Paul rubbed his tired eyes as he walked out of the small enclosed space and out into engineering. "I have a headache; I'll go and take a nap."

"Why don't you head down to sickbay and have it treated?" Nilsson suggested kindly.

He shook his head and grimaced. "I don't want to trouble them at the moment. I think they have their hands full with more important things down there."

OOOOOO

Doctor Culber glanced up from the file he was studying as Spock walked into sickbay. The Vulcan made his way over and glanced over his shoulder to look at his sister.

Hugh offered a tight smile. "Michael's condition is steadily improving," he said kindly. "She's out of the woods."

The Vulcan arched an eyebrow at the doctor. "Humans have a lot of meaningless expressions," he noted. "That phrase would logically date back to the times of the Roman Empire, when it was common to ride a horse in the woods, not knowing what kind of dangers they might face. In this case my sister is out of the woods and therefore not in any danger. It would have been simpler to say, not to mention logical, that Michael is no longer in a critical condition."

Culber sighed inwardly but held his smile. "How are the negotiations coming along?" he asked curiously.

"I believe the human term would be 'surprisingly well'," he answered. "I wish to update Captain Pike."

The doctor turned his gaze to the sleeping man a few biobeds away. "I am sure he would appreciate that, lieutenant, but he is recuperating from a very serious condition. I would be grateful if you'd wait."

He nodded and seemed to contemplate it for a moment. "A logical suggestion doctor," he said. "However, if he asks before I return; tell him Commander Saru have managed to convince the two leaders to allow Federation diplomats, scientists and engineers to visit the Sobada Star System."

"How did he manage that?" the doctor asked curiously.

"That were the terms agreed upon for any chance of keeping the stolen schematics of the_ Galileo_," Spock replied flatly as he made to leave. "The captain will be pleased to hear that."

Hugh stared after the Vulcan and shook his head.

OOOOOO

"Huh," Reno mumbled as she tapped away at a console. It didn't appear to be coded or locked but she didn't understand a word of what she was seeing. "It isn't exactly standard Starfleet English."

"Can you try to access something that has been recorded?" Rhys asked curiously. "The universal translator was fairly quick to catch on to Sobralian."

"Sure, the_ Enterprise_ was here two years ago," she pointed out.

"The language syntax and linguistics of the Sobralian language is quite similar to Sobayan language," Ka'Lock explained. "We understand each other pretty well."

Reno sighed in frustration. "So, this is really something else then? Do we have a language scrambler somewhere onboard the _Phoenix_?" she asked. At Rhys's frown she added. "You know what I mean. One of those little gadgets that reads and translates texts."

"I don't think its calibrated for an entirely different language," Rhys offered.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?" Ka'Saa volunteered as he took a step forward.

The engineer nodded.

Meanwhile Rhys took a look around and marveled at the different stations in the room. It looked like a control room of some kind. Dust covered most of it but everything seemed to be intact. He gently wiped away dirt and grime with his sleeve and jerked backwards as a small, almost flat cylinder-shaped object popped out of a socket. Unsure of what it was and what it might do, he stood completely still watching it intently for a moment, then as nothing happened, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Huh, Commander Reno," he called over his shoulder.

She was instantly at his side. "What did you do?" she asked.

"Nothing. I wiped the console clean and that thing popped up," Rhys explained. "I recommend that we beam it out immediately. See those blue rods at the bottom? They are fading out – one by one."

"A bomb?" Ka'Lock asked nervously.

"Why go through all the trouble?" Reno countered. "Why try to blow up something they've gone through a lot of trouble to protect?" She snatched it up before anyone could react or protest.

Rhys snapped his eyes shut and scrunched his face as the last of the blue rods faded away but the explosion never came. He carefully opened his eyes again to stare at the object in Reno's hand. On the flat ebony surface of the small cylinder, stood a hologram of a woman.

OOOOOO

"Now that we have settled that, let's move onto-," Saru began as he was interrupted by an incoming transmission.

"_Bridge to Commander Saru,"_ Bryce called.

The Kelpien sighed inwardly, not appreciating the interruption, the situation was quite delicate at the moment. "Commander Saru here, lieutenant," he acknowledged.

"_I'm sorry for the interruption, sir, but the Phoenix has returned with some very interesting findings from Sobral. Commander Reno would like your assistance in engineering." _

The chancellor and the governor listened intently, both rising from their chairs.

"Where is this engineering?" Esha demanded.

"_The other Sobralians are already there,"_ Bryce added.

"What other Sobralians?" the Sobayan chancellor asked suspiciously.

Saru sighed. "Please, tell Commander Reno that we are on our way," he said over the channel and terminated the call.

OOOOOO

_To be continued_


	18. Troubling Truths

**Chapter Eighteen **

_Troubling Truths _

The six gathered aliens looked spellbound as they stared at the small hologram of the unknown woman which was situated on the lab-bench before them.

Reno and Rhys, still dressed in their neoprene wetsuits stood close by. Both of them seemed to be frustrated over the lack of information they'd managed to get from it.

Spock cocked an eyebrow, finding the whole thing fascinating, as he tried to calculate and deduce the origin of the device. He ran all kinds of possible scenarios in his head while listening to the garbled sounds coming from the woman.

Technical engineer Joe Lesley, spore drive hub operator Jenny Nilsson and linguistic expert Santana Ta'Lotti tapped away on their data tablets, feeding various kinds of information into the computers.

Saru waited patiently for the recording to start all over again as the first run didn't make any sense whatsoever.

"_When you (garbled) this, a catastrophe (garbled) has already…My (garbled) Sorabraya. I am a scientist at the Golden (garbled) kamar. Our planet was dying, our race (garbled) of extinction and we were at loss what to do. We came here (garbled) colony. We brought our fleet here; onboard was a million of our race."_

"_(Garbled) rebuild our cities the way we could, using the parts from our ships. (Garbled) spaceship in the orbit of the planet but without (garbled) matter of a few decades before it would be scrapped." _

"_Despite (garbled) Sobaya and Sobral the population was unable to make themselves feel at home. The sky had a different shade of blue, (garbled) Ichkamar weren't there, the days where shorter and the darkness massive at nights…" _

Saru sighed as he wearily sat down in one of the chairs around the table.

"Commander Saru," Nilsson began hopefully. "You are a language expert. Based on all the languages you have learned over the years – can you make an attempt to find out what this is?" 

Saru nodded, he could see that the lieutenant wanted to say more but didn't dare while the aliens were present in the room.

"I believe that the vast data _Discovery_ has gathered recently might be of assistance," Spock suggested evenly, obviously referring to the sphere data.

Saru nodded reluctantly as he turned to Specialist Ta'Lotti. "Lieutenant Ta'Lotti, would you please assist me and Lieutenant Bryce with the matter?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good, bring our communication's officer up to speed and meet me in study room five in – shall we say – fifteen minutes."

Ta'Lotti gathered her gear, unplugged two data tablets from the storage, carefully extracted a copy of the recording on a portable disc, and left the room.

"Commander Reno, Lieutenant Lesley," Saru called. "I want you to stay here and try to figure out the technology behind this intriguing piece of equipment."

"Sounds like the best order I've had in an hour," she quipped.

The Kelpien shook his head slightly at the engineer. "The rest of you are dismissed."

"Yes, sir," Nilsson and Rhys chorused and quickly made to leave.

Saru turned to the alien leaders. "I am afraid we won't get much further tonight. You are of course welcome to stay onboard if you like, otherwise I'll show you to the transporter room for the time being."

"I will return," Chancellor La'co said. "I would like to be notified immediately when you have learned more."

"Of course," Saru promised diplomatically and turned to the Sobralian leader. "Governor Esha, do you require assistance in explaining to your people why there was an underwater explosion so close to the capital earlier today?"

She huffed.

"Commander," Ka'Tush suggested seriously as he glanced at the woman of his kind. "I might be able to help. I believe it is time for me to get reinstated in the council. It is time for the truth to be released."

"Considering recent events, Second Governor Esmaile Esato," Governor Eela Esha said somberly. "I am accepting the terms of reinstatement."

Ka'Tush nodded brightly at the formal invitation. He was more than ready to go back to his former life, where he could make a difference.

OOOOOO

As he blinked his heavy eyelids open, a smiling Michael Burnham swam into focus.

"Captain," she acknowledged softly.

"Burnham," he whispered, still trying to get his bearings. "Are you all right?"

She leaned forward in the chair next to him. "I think I'm entitled to ask you that question," she reasoned.

"I'm-," he hesitated as he turned to look at her. He owed her the truth. "I'm getting there."

Her lips curled slightly upwards. "Good. I think we need to talk about your willingness to sacrifice your life."

Pike broke into a dimpled grin, realizing she was using his own words against him. "There was no time," he protested mildly with a twinkle in his eyes.

She harrumphed slightly at that; her expression skeptical but she kept the smile on. "Do you need anything? Painkillers?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine," he assured her. "How are you? You look a little pale and you're dressed in a medical gown. That is usually a giveaway that something isn't right."

Michael laughed fondly as she recalled a similar conversation days ago – roles reversed. "I was waiting to be released to my quarters but it's almost midnight now so I guess I'll have to wait till morning," she offered with a smirk. "Have you heard the latest?"

Pike frowned. "Would that be the condolences Saru received by the Sobralian and Sobayan leaders as they practically wrote me off as dead?" he asked sarcastically.

Michael shook her head, slightly amused. "No, no but it does work in Saru's favor doesn't it?" she asked curiously. "Otherwise they would not even speak to him, they would demand that you handled the negotiations."

He nodded carefully. "I don't think I'd be up to that to be honest," he relented in a subdued voice. "What is the latest and-," he studied his science officer with a suspicious twinkle in his eyes. "-how would you know what is the latest?"

Burnham shrugged. "I have my sources," she let on enigmatically. "Reno and Rhys found a control room, deep under the sea."

"So, that's what was in the vault," he mused. "The Sobralians talked about it like it was a holy ground; part of a long-lost history."

"I suppose, in a way, that it was. However, it was certainly not the history they'd expected to find," Michael replied seriously. "The level of technology and the prerecorded explanation they found confirms that the Sobada Star System was colonized."

Pike rolled his eyes and smirked. "I am sure Chancellor La'co would have been delighted to hear that," he said and then broke into a dimpled grin. "Thanks commander, now I'm too curious to sleep."

Michael straightened in her chair as her superior officer gingerly got into a sitting position. She looked around for any medical personnel but saw none. "Where are we going, sir?" she asked.

"We?" Pike echoed curiously.

"If you can leave, then so can I," she replied with a faint smile. "Where too?"

Pike broke into a faint dimpled grin, his face slightly flushed, as he nodded toward the door. "Didn't you say they stored the thing in engineering?"

"I never said that, sir," she replied with a mix of amusement and concern. "You must have heard it from somewhere else."

"I have my sources," he replied lightly.

OOOOOO

Linguistic specialist Santana Ta'Lotti sighed as she reached up to rub her tired eyes. They had been at it for several hours without any real breakthroughs. Not that she had expected to unravel the secrets of an entirely new and different language in a few hours but it really felt like they'd hit a dead end at the moment.

The Kelpien stubbornly started all over again and tried to make sense of the syntax, the base of the language and so on. He could only hope that the others had gotten longer in their assessment of the gadget in which the data had been stored. When he'd last spoken to Commander Reno, she was waiting for Bryce to reach her. The communications officer was relocating from Saru and Ta'Lotti to help sort out and feed communicational data to the sphere archive. Lieutenant Lesley had left for tactical engineering, situated one deck below main engineering, to perform some other studies.

Saru shook his head in defeat and then bowed it downwards. He stared at the rubber flooring while unconsciously scratching his forehead lightly, trying to come up with some kind of solution to their problem. While this job was intriguing and a joy to work with, it was also something he didn't have time for at the moment. He needed to be able to translate the recording fast.

OOOOOO

_To be continued_


	19. Ichkamar

**Chapter Nineteen **

_Ichkamar _

Reno glanced up from the object she was studying as the door swooshed open. She did a double-take, shook her head – as if to clear it - and then smirked enigmatically as Captain Pike and Commander Burnham walked in to join her. "Stretching your legs, sir?" she asked cunningly.

Pike's eyes twinkled, looking quite amused. "Something like that," he replied as he straightened his blue uniform jacket.

Bryce walked around the corner, engrossed in what was displayed on his data tablet and nearly dropped it as he realized who were standing in front of him in the middle of the night.

"Lieutenant," Michael acknowledged with a faint upward curl to her lips.

"Commander," he replied kindly and then nodded. "Captain."

"The two of you had us worried there for a while," Reno drawled. "It's good to have you back; both of you."

"It's good to be back," Pike replied humbly.

"Although, I am not so sure you're supposed to be here at the moment?" the engineer replied seriously yet her undertone let them know she was both amused and relieved at seeing them.

"According to Burnham, this is the place to be," Pike said.

"Huh," Reno replied and rolled her eyes. "In engineering – isn´t it always?"

Bryce looked troubled and hesitated for a moment before he turned his attention to Reno. "I really think we should give sickbay a call," he suggested and apologetically turned to the captain. "Just to let them know you are here."

Pike shrugged and nodded kindly. "That would be the correct procedure. I won't take offence," he said.

"Come on," Jett broke in and looked at Bryce. "Cut them some slack. They walked here on their own two feet, right? Besides, no one is going to miss them for a few hours anyway."

The lieutenant still seemed hesitant but nodded.

"Do they look like they're going to keel over to you?" Reno pushed.

"I guess not," Bryce replied with a sheepish smile and offered the data tablet to Pike. "Here, sir. This is what we have come up with so far."

"I am afraid you need to bring me up to speed," Pike said as he looked from Bryce to Reno.

"Right," the engineer replied and shook her head faintly. "Look, captain. I want to apologize in advance – actually, I've already done it but you haven't heard about it yet – huh, for borrowing a photon torpedo to blow that vault open."

Pike grimaced as he found a chair, pulled it up and sat down heavily next to Reno at the lab-bench. He placed his elbows on the table-top and let his chin come to rest against the knuckles of his left hand, studying her interestingly for a moment. "I am not sure I want to know anymore," he let on carefully.

Reno snorted. "You know, other captains I have served under would have either bit my head off right about now, demoted me or put me on report. But you are not like other captains – are you?" she enquired as she broke into a wry smile. "That was rhetorical - I know you aren't. And I really appreciate it, sir."

His blue eyes sparkled with mirth at that. "I believe in encouraging people to do their best, to be their brightest and most ingenious selves while still following the rules and regulations set by Starfleet. During my years as a serving captain, especially while chartering deep space, I have found that to be a winning concept. Now – what did you do? Start another war?"

She shook her head and smirked. "Nope, I promised your newfound friends – they are onboard the _Discovery_ by the way - I would be able to get that vault open and Commander Saru said I could use any means necessary-," she trailed off and grinned. "I don't think he saw it coming, you know, me blowing off the door."

"Well, it obviously worked," Michael offered as she too sat down, next to the captain. "How did you draw the conclusion that the Sobada Star System has been colonized?"

Reno nodded at the small, flat, cylinder shaped form which sat on the bench, connected to various instruments. "Rhys picked up a little clue when he wiped off some dust down there. He activated something, a mechanism of some sort, which released this thing."

Michael tilted her head, studying it for a moment and frowned. "It looks like one of those vulcanized rubber disks used in that old Earth sport called ice hockey?"

"It's a little more sophisticated than that," Reno offered as she swiped her hand over it.

Pike straightened in his chair as the hologram of a woman appeared before them.

She started to speak but the universal translator failed to pick everything up and had trouble piecing her sentences together.

"Right now, we're trying to make sense of everything she's trying to tell us," Bryce explained.

"The ka'pa'rans didn't know what to make of her at first. The level of technology is astounding to say the least, especially if you consider that this chamber was sealed several thousand years ago."

"The language is not Sobralian or Sobayan? Is that what you're saying?" Michael asked for clarification. She was intrigued, her background as an anthropologist kicking in.

"It's not Sobayan or Sobralian," Reno clarified. "Saru and Ta'Lotti have locked themselves into a study room, trying to find similarities with other languages. Bryce and I have been feeding the recording into the computers to let the sphere data have a go at it. While the translation is better, it is still not a hundred percent," she explained as she hit the play button.

"_When you hear this, a catastrophe has already happened. My name is Sorabraya. I am a scientist at the Golden Academy of Ichkamar. Our planet was dying, our race was faced with the possibility of extinction and we were at loss what to do. We were running out of time, we had known for a long time, but no one really understood the magnitude of it until it was almost too late. Decisions had to be rushed, ships needed to be built, the people needed to become united to the common cause. I am not proud to say that we left a lot of people behind – there simply wasn't time to save us all. In the end we came here in the hopes of starting a colony. It was a smaller system, devoid of any lifeforms, at least at this level of advancement. I was part of a scouting group and we found this to be the most promising place we'd found in a year. We brought our fleet here; onboard was a million of our race."_

"A million people," Michael remarked. "Imagine the size of that fleet."

The others in the room just nodded in silence.

"_We began to rebuild our cities the way we could, using the parts from our ships. We kept one spaceship in orbit of the planet for as long as we could. Without maintenance and repair, at a proper space dock, it would only be a matter of a few decades before it would have to be scrapped." _

"She says planet," Pike stated, "not planets."

"So, they must have colonized Sobral first?" Reno guessed. "Considering that's where we found the vault."

"_Despite the offerings of the planets that we named Sobaya and Sobral, the population was unable to make themselves feel at home. The sky had a different shade of blue, the three moons of Ichkamar weren't there, the days were shorter and the darkness massive at nights…" the woman took a pause, looking sad and sounding regretful as she began to speak again. "We came here to start anew, to live in peace, to forget all things that had happened back home – she trailed off and sighed - I still can't say Sobral is my home, after so many years…_

"I don't understand," Bryce mused. "If they had this level of technology. What was it that went wrong? What did she mean by catastrophe?"

"Patience," Reno cautioned jovially. "I bet you're one of those who starts at the end of an audiobook."

"Have you searched for Ichkamar using the sphere data?" Pike asked curiously.

"Still searching actually," Reno answered. "So far, no luck."

The captain nodded thoughtfully, remembering He'tef's last words. _'You know where to find us. If there is anything you require, come and see us. For you – it doesn't have to be a physical visit.' _ He wondered briefly if he should attempt to contact the Araxians but he wasn't sure how. Chris shook his head and decided against it for the time being. Although, he did wonder why He'tef had said; _'Till we meet again, Christopher,'_ because the Araxian knew they would probably never be able to travel back to Arax VI again.

"Captain?" Bryce called worriedly. "Are you all right?"

"You look a little pale," Reno noted.

Pike forced a faint smile on his lips. "I am fine," he managed. "Just caught up in memories."

"Are you sure," Michael broke in. "When Doctor Pollard told me about your health, she said that back on the planet your condition deteriorated and improved all over again until you finally collapsed."

Pike turned his attention solely on her, he looked mildly put out by the fact that she was doubting whether or not he really was okay in front of the others. He knew she was only genuinely concerned for his well-being and, deep down, he appreciated that but he didn't like to be vulnerable in front of anyone – not even doctors – if he could avoid it. "I received the antidote as well – remember?" he said lightly.

Burnham arched an eyebrow, reminding him of her foster brother for a moment, but she gave him a faint nod to let him know she got the message.

"If the auto-translation works this well now, it must mean the sphere archive have data on Ichkamar," Bryce deduced.

Reno shrugged. "Or Starfleet technology has finally found enough parameters in common to be able to understand and translate on its own," she suggested and hit play again.

The woman reappeared before them and then suddenly vanished again.

Pike and Burnham looked at each other and frowned.

"Why is it doing that?" Bryce asked curiously as he watched Reno try and restart it a second time.

Reno sighed and shook her head in defeat as she turned to the communications officer and then, Burnham and the captain. "I am afraid it's simple –," she drawled. "Too simple."

Bryce just continued to look at Jett, not getting it.

"Seems like Cinderella missed her deadline," Pike mused with a smirk.

Reno rolled her eyes. "And Lesley chided me for using human proverbs," she said sarcastically.

Michael broke into a faint smile; her mother had been reading her old fairytales when she was little. She never grew tired of listening to them. "If I am going to translate that," she spoke up amused, "I'd say the unit needs to be brought back to where it came from or the spell is broken."

"In short – the power cell is drained," Reno summarized. "I think I have an idea how to reload it here though, onboard the _Discovery_."

Pike stood up a little too quickly and had to brace against the bench to regain his balance.

"And you should return to sickbay, captain," Reno said seriously. "Or I will do as Bryce suggested before; I'll give the docs a call."

He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and nodded. "We're on our way," he assured her and nodded at Michael.

As they'd left the room Reno quickly tapped a button to give Saru a call. "Engineering to study room five. You can give it a rest up there; we have a decent translation."

"_Study room five, acknowledged,"_ Saru said. _"We'll be with you shortly."_

"There's no rush, commander," Reno replied. "There are other issues. I'll relocate to technical engineering and see what I can do."

"_Okay,"_ Saru replied, there was a faint dejection to his voice. _"Let me know how it goes." _

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	20. The Report

**Chapter Twenty **

_The Report_

It was five in the morning when Tilly gently put the data tablet away from her. She was overtired, her mind was wired and she was still tense. She'd actually tried to get some sleep after having been discharged from sickbay, surviving the ordeal at the planet. In a way she had been lucky, nursing a few cuts and bruises only, but she had given up on getting some sleep.

Michael wasn't back in their quarters yet so she had no one to talk to, the room was way too silent, and the fact that her roommate wasn't around only heightened her anxiety and worry that Michael wouldn't make it. That was silly because she knew Michael was on the mend and would make a full recovery now that she'd received the antidote.

As she closed her eyes, she kept seeing the tunnel collapse over and over again and then came the near-drowning experience with the water slouching all around her, waves trying to pull her under and crush her. Somehow her mind neglected to remember the good things – Captain Pike rescuing her from drowning, Doctor Pollard pushing her out of harm's way in the tunnel – she only recalled the bad things. She saw Nhan bobbing on the swells, Pike crashing to the ground, then it was back to Michael in sickbay again. It was a loop of disasters that played inside her head every time she closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

Since the memories refused to leave her alone, she figured she might as well write her report. That was what she'd been doing for the last three hours, dictating her story to the computer, adding and erasing data as she was going along. Tilly stared at the data tablet on standby mode, laying at an arm's length from her. She sighed with relief, it felt good to have it logged and ready. Now she found she couldn't contain herself, she had to show it to the captain straight away and she had to still her craving for latte immediately.

All about five minutes later she entered a dimly lit sickbay, carrying two take-away cups of latte and a data tablet. She quickly checked Michael as she passed her biobed to make sure the vitals were heading in the right direction on the medical display over and beyond her head. Brightening as she saw steady improvement, she tip-toed away and set a course across the room to Captain Pike's bedside. She tilted her head to steal a glance in the direction of the doctor's office and found it empty.

"Hi, sir," she began jovially albeit somewhat tentatively.

Pike slowly came to awareness, the first thing he saw was a smiling, young, red-headed ensign. He couldn't help but to let a faint chuckle escape his lips. She was a bright woman, full of enthusiasm and curiosity, but sometimes she tried too hard – overdoing her tasks.

"What time is it?" he whispered groggily.

She frowned, looking confused for a second, as if she hadn't even considered it. "Huh? 06.20 AM."

He tried not to yawn as he tilted his head to get a better look at her. "Is there an emergency of some kind?" he asked softly, his eyes twinkling with a mixture of slight amusement and exasperation.

She suddenly felt stupid. "Ah, no, sir. I was just-," she began. "I was finished with the report and I wanted your opinion and I guess I didn't look at my watch. I was worried about you and Michael and I had a ridiculous craving for latte and so I-,"

"It's okay, Ensign Tilly," he said kindly. "Is one of them for me?"

She looked at the two cups in her hand, dumbfounded for a moment. "Yeah," she blurted. "I didn't know if you liked latte, but they are _so_ good, awesome really." She began to hand one over and suddenly hesitated. "Oh, my gosh, maybe Tracy or Hugh would object?"

"Tilly," he said kindly, sensing her nervousness. "Could you raise my biobed a little?"

"Yes," she said and rushed into action.

He studied her for a moment as she eased down in a chair next to him. "You are nervous," he said softly. "Why?"

"You don't want to know," she admitted sheepishly.

"Yes, I do," he insisted.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping forward. "I've done it again," she began. "You must think I have a problem with authority. I mean I came here, before dawn, babbling about latte, disturbing your sleep and everything, and now I realize that perhaps I should have given the report to Saru instead since you're the subject of my study."

He broke into that charming dimpled grin again. "Actually," he began cunningly. "There are no rules against asking your captain for advice, even if he or she is the object of your study."

"We just came back anyway," Michael admitted as she appeared next to her roommate.

Tilly jerked back in surprise at seeing Michael up and about. Before she knew it, she'd thrown her arms around the other woman laughed with relief. "I am so glad to see you," she whispered.

"Ensign," Michael tried carefully mindful of the fact that their commanding officer was laying on a biobed next to them. "Not in front of the captain," she whispered.

"Huh," Tilly said and immediately straightened. She turned around to see Pike trying hard to keep his face neutral at the reunion. He didn't quite succeed because a very faint dimpled grin creased his lips. "I'm sorry. It's just that-, oh, my goodness, I thought I was going to lose both of you and-," she looked from Pike to Michael, "-you're the best roommate and friend, Michael." She turned her attention to Pike. "- and captain, you're the best captain in Starfleet. Without the two of you, your guidance and support I think I'd be lost."

Pike looked slightly uncomfortable at the praise but nodded kindly in acknowledgement. "Thank you, ensign. Now-," he paused as the door to sickbay opened.

The trio let out a relieved breath as it was only Nhan.

The Barzan shook her head as she padded over to them. "Why am I not surprised," she said softly. "What are you up to at this hour?"

"Grab a seat," Pike suggested. "It turns out they were right. Life didn't originate from Sobral, in fact it didn't even come from Sobaya."

"What?" Nhan asked curiously, not sure if she'd heard right.

The door suddenly swooshed open again, this time revealing Doctor Tracy Pollard, who took one look at the four people gathered together and shook her head with a very faint smile on her lips. "If it isn't the resting quartet," she drawled sarcastically and then did a double take at the two lattes on the night stand. "Have you been here long?"

OOOOOO

Commander Saru sighed as he walked out of technical engineering, leaving Ta'Lotti there to help Reno and Lesley in any way she could. They had decided that it was better to try and get the small Ichkamarian piece of equipment functional again onboard _Discovery_. Travelling back to Sobral and return it to its holder would be a devastating blow at the moment and also something they didn't have time for.

The Kelpien stood silent in the turbolift, lost in thought, trying to paint a picture of the meeting before him, trying to assess the situation and foresee trouble that might come in his way. He'd received word that the governor and the chancellor was already onboard and, on their way, to meet him in the conference room. Relieved that he was the first one to enter the room, he sat down and steepled his fingers on the table before him just as the two world leaders and the Sobralian nationals Ka'Saa and Ka'Lock joined him.

"Welcome back," Saru greeted as the others took seats around the table.

"I am under the impression that you managed to find out a great deal more during the small hours than you thought," Chancellor La'co stated.

"The ka'pa'rans have believed in this nonsense of not originating from this star system a very long time," Governor Esha said coldly as she glanced at Ka'Saa and Ka'Lock. "Please tell me you can put a stop to that."

Saru turned to look at her. "With respect, governor, most tell-tales from centuries ago does carry a part of the truth even in modern times," he said seriously. "Take the Sorabraya Curse for example."

"The mother of the two," Chancellor La'co said, meaning the planets Sobaya and Sobral. "Her anger almost eradicated the entire population on Sobaya-," he glanced at his counterpart, "and on Sobral."

Saru nodded diplomatically. "Sorabraya was the name of a female scientist at something called the Golden Academy. She came to this star system on a ship from a planet called Ichkamar," he revealed.

"That is ridiculous," Governor Esha burst out.

"The findings my crew have done at Sobral can be described in many words, governor," the Kelpien cautioned. "It might be intriguing, an eye opener or astounding, but I would not call it ridiculous."

Chancellor La'co sighed and shook his head. "So, they were right. All this time, they have been trying to tell the rest of us the truth," he mused.

"From what we have learned, you are one people," Saru continued. "A war between the two of you, between Sobaya and Sobral would be meaningless. And the quarrel you have about space faring would seem-," he trailed off and nodded faintly at Governor Esha, "-ridiculous as your species came from another planet."

"I refuse to believe this. I demand answers," Esha said coldly.

"Very well, I can give you plenty," Saru reasoned calmly as he studied the infuriated woman before him.

Ka'Saa harrumphed. "Commander Saru, if I may?" he spoke up.

"By all means," he replied.

"As of right now I'll boldly suggest that we study the vault and record the historical findings on Sobral so that in the end we can find the whole truth about our origin and share it with the rest of the people," he said.

"As a historian assistant chief, you're very naïve," Governor Esha remarked. "History cannot be changed overnight. It will take years, decades to convince the population that their believes are all wrong."

"But we have proof," Ka'Saa insisted.

"I highly recommend that you consider Ka'Saa's request," Saru said seriously. "My Vulcan science officer and my Barzan chief of security are standing by to assist you in any way you see fit, but only for a limited amount of time."

La'co turned to the three Sobralians. "Please see to it immediately. If there is anything you need from Sobaya-," he offered.

"How can you be sure this is not something Starfleet has fabricated?" Governor Esha pushed. "You told them yourself not to come back and now you trust them explicitly?"

Ka'Lock, the former superintendent of the science council at Sobral spoke up. "I was down there and I saw what they saw. I am a man of science and I am not easily convinced but the evidence, in this case, speaks for themselves," he said.

"You will have any assistance you need from Sobaya as well," La'co volunteered.

"Why don't you mind your own business," Governor Esha suggested.

"Commander Saru said it himself; we are one people – your business is my business too," he replied. "Just like the Glory Guards."

"The extended overseers," Esha remarked. "You have already caused a lot of anxiety on Sobral, the people are in uproar after the threat from outer space-,"

"You'll just tell them that a meteorite crash-landed," La'co suggested evenly. "No one would understand what a photon torpedo is anyway."

Saru sighed as he activated the communications system. "Commander Saru to hanger deck," he said.

"_Hanger deck, Commander Nhan here,"_ she replied.

"You have a go, commander," Saru said and nodded at Ka'Saa and Ka'Lock. "Your Sobralian friends will join you shortly, please notify the bridge before take-off."

"_Will do, sir, hanger deck out." _

OOOOOO

Ash Tyler was waiting outside the door as Michael stepped out of sickbay, after being marooned there for an entire week. She hesitated and gave him a smile which he immediately returned.

"Hello Ash," she said softly. "Hugh told me that you came to see me every day, telling me to hold on."

He hesitated for a moment and then closed the small distance between them and carefully embraced her. "Don't you ever do something like that again," he whispered into her ear.

It was her time to hesitate. "You know we can't be together Ash," she reasoned carefully.

They held each other at an arm's length for a moment, studying each other, both seeing the others pained expression. "Ever since I learned of your son – of Voq's son – I began to distance myself further, realizing that you had other obligations," Michael said sadly, her voice subdued.

'_You are - and will always be – in love with Michael Burnham,'_ L'Rell's voice echoed at the back of his mind. _'I was in love with Voq, who sacrificed everything, but that is not who you are. I do not fully recognize you now…"_

Ash shook his head slightly closing his eyes for a moment. "I am not Voq. I know that now," he whispered as he leveled his eyes with hers. "Deep down, I am Lieutenant Ash Tyler and I-," he hesitated. "I love you, Michael. I cannot keep quiet any longer. I thought I was watching you die, again, and I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't been able to tell you that."

His confession was so sincere and so heartbreaking that she fought to keep back a tear. She took a quivering breath, leaning back upon all of her Vulcan teachings of mastering her emotions as she managed a faint smile. "I love you too, Ash," she finally managed. "But I am afraid to lose you the way I always seem to lose everyone that I hold dear." She smirked and then added, "With a few exceptions."

"You won't lose me," he assured her softly.

"If there is one thing I have learned recently, it is that you can't make such promises," she replied.

"That's all part of the game, Michael," he reasoned kindly. "No one knows what the future might bring."

She swallowed, then nodded seriously. "I know this might sound harsh to you at the moment but I can't afford to keep my mind occupied with selfish thoughts of love when I know that unless we stop the AI, everything will be lost."

He reached out for her shoulders and gently squeezed them as he looked deep into her eyes. "You can't save the world all by yourself, Michael, let me help you."

The appeal suddenly became too great as she leaned into him and burrowed her head into his chest. "Yes," she whispered.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	21. Leader Definition

**Chapter Twenty-One**

_Leader Definition _

When Tilly reaches sickbay the second time for the day, Pike is looking much better. He is reading something on a data tablet and smiles as he sees her.

She gives him a quick wave as she walks up to his bedside. "Hi, captain. Are you up for a visitor?" she asked kindly, her smile bright and enthusiastic.

Pike can't help but to give her a dimpled smile as he put the data tablet away. "Still want to discuss that report?" he asked warmly.

Tilly nodded as she handed him her data tablet.

He frowned as he scrolled down. "You have been productive," he noted as he saw that she'd logged over fifty pages. He smirked and tilted his head upwards to look at her over the edge of the tablet. "You realize I can't read fifty-four pages in ten seconds," he teased.

"Is it overambitious?" she wondered as she was wringing her hands in her lap. "Saru actually never did say how many pages there should be."

"As far as I know-," Pike began kindly, "-there are no upper limits to it. I guess it all depends on the mission, your reflections and what grade you're aiming for."

"It's been fun-," she began jovially and then stopped, considering what she'd just said and grimaced. "I mean, it's been terrible-," seeing his confusion she tried to rectify the situation. "What I am trying to say is that the mission itself was interesting but not something I would want to go through again. You are an inspiring leader to follow, sir."

"But?" Pike asked curiously as he saw her hesitate. Tilly seldom hesitated.

She was surprised by his answer. "I am sorry for putting you on report," she said apologetically.

He nodded, so that's why she hesitated. "Why are you sorry? If you did put me on report, then you must have thought I did something wrong? In that case you would have been at fault for not pointing that out," he reasoned.

She swallowed. "I felt that you where toying with your life, sir. I mean, Doctor Culber told you it was a bad idea to leave the ship."

He nodded thoughtfully. "I see," he replied. "Sometimes my actions might be seen as reckless but my job is to keep this crew safe and sound. As a captain, you always have to analyze the situation and figure out a way to be in control of that particular situation. I felt it necessary to neglect my own health for the sake of others."

"You really don't have to explain yourself to me," Tilly began. "You are the flagship captain and all-,"

He shook his head, his blue eyes studying her with kindness as he began to speak again. "I am only human, ensign, I want you to understand that and perhaps even see it from my point of view."

She nodded as he continued.

"I want to help you succeed and help you to be able to reach your goals if I can. Know this – to understand both sides in a conflict and/or disagreement is important. Whether that conflict is between two officers or two planets actually have little meaning. You need to learn how to read a situation and understand both sides; their values and reasoning. It is only then you can begin to diplomatically be able to solve everything."

Tilly swallowed again and nodded. "And I felt that I had to mention that you bypassed protocol in order to tell the rest of us what happened two years ago," she let on. "You know, back in the tunnel."

To Tilly's surprise, Pike didn't look angry, instead he smiled cunningly. "You are good command material, ensign," he said. "I decided to give away bits and pieces that were classified in order for you to understand the situation better. Basically, I was giving you an advantage and reasoned you'd benefit from knowing more of what had happened."

"And I did get a better understanding," she concurred. "I want to thank you for getting the opportunity to follow you, captain. I mean, how many CTP students get the privilege to actually shadow the flagship captain?"

Pike looked down at the report again, the corners of his lips twitching upwards slyly.

"No one," Tilly added cheerfully for him, "There are no CTP students onboard the _Enterprise_."

"There are logical reasons for that," Pike countered. "I don't think any CTP student would want to stay put in training onboard the flagship for the duration of a five-year-mission before getting a grade above ensign."

"I don't know," she mused, contradicting him.

"Well, congratulations, ensign, for surviving your study," he said kindly. "Usual CTP missions of this type might handle a situation onboard the ship, such as meddling a fight between to crewmen or deciding what supplies that needs to taken onboard first."

She broke into a grin. "I think I liked mine just the way it was; it's just that I don't want to do a repeat performance."

He returned her grin with a dimpled smile. "Then it makes two of us," he said.

OOOOOO

Ensign Redmond looked up as Lieutenant Bryce walked out of the turbolift and stepped out on the bridge. "How's it going?" she asked curiously.

He sighed and shook his head. "I don't know really," he offered. "I don't think I understand how big this is." He glanced around the bridge, knowing he had their undivided attention. "That thing Rhys stumbled upon – it changed everything."

"There is actual proof that the inhabitants of this Sobada Star System originated from somewhere else?" Owo inquired.

Bryce nodded. "Yeah, there is no doubt about it. I saw her – Sobaya – explain how they traveled across the galaxy to settle here."

"Did she say anything more?" Detmer asked curiously.

"That she was homesick," Bryce replied with a smirk. "Who wouldn't be?"

"There must be more than that?" Nilsson asked.

"The technology is old and frail at this time," the communications officer replied as he shifted position with Ensign Redmond. "Commander Reno and Lieutenant Lesley are trying to restart it again as we speak."

"How can you leave in all that excitement?" Detmer asked incredulously.

"I had no choice," he said. "I was ordered back here to monitor all the channels on Sobral and take notice of what is happening down there. Commander Saru doesn't want any more surprises."

"There has been no activity at any of the ground stations," Owo offered. "I doubt they'd fire upon us when we're hosting both the governor and the chancellor."

"Let's make sure of that," Rhys said as he walked onto the bridge.

OOOOOO

Jett Reno carefully readjusted a small cable inside the housing of the black object and then sat back in her chair, letting out a deep breath.

"Almost like surgery," Lesley offered with a grin as he put on a pair of thin gloves.

Linguistic expert Ta'Lotti watched with slight concern as the lieutenant sealed the alien equipment, using a specialized tool. "I really hope you know what you're doing," she said seriously.

"Always," Reno drawled and nodded at Lesley. "Let's power it up again and see if she reappears this time."

Anticipation was high in the room as the gadget was now attached to a spare power cell from _Discovery_, modified to work with the particular Ichkamarian design. No one said anything, everyone was staring intently at the black object, as if willing it to work again would be enough.

There was a spark, a puff and a warning for an overload. Then, all off a sudden, the woman stood tall and straight on the shiny black surface once again.

"I knew it would work," Reno offered cockily. "Come on, lets run the auto-translation on the rest of it."

"_I still can't say Sobral is my home, after so many years…"_

Reno and Lesley shared a curious look as the woman froze.

"I thought you said it worked," Ta'Lotti began.

Sorabraya faded for a moment and then returned to speak again.

"I think there are several recordings merged into one," Lesley reasoned.

"_The virus spread like a wildfire through the population." _

"Okay," Reno said as she put the woman on hold. "I think we've missed a few chapters in between."

"Virus? Should I call on DNA specialist Gaby Button?" Lesley asked.

Reno waved lazily at him. "Call Hugh Culber as well," she answered. "I have a feeling Sorabraya knows what this 'Sorabraya Curse' might be."

OOOOOO

Ka'Noya watched from a slight distance as Christopher Pike slowly got into a pair of sweatpants and a tight, standard Starfleet long-sleeved undershirt. Not that the uniform hid much of one's physique but the undershirt hid even less and the healer now saw with his own eyes the excellent form the captain appeared to be in.

That was another factor to the complexities about researching the history of Sobral. Rumors had it that the Sorabraya Curse would hit again someday and that even if the people on the planet appeared to be immune to the strain nowadays, it would somehow mutate and mercilessly strike the weakest. As a man of medicine, he knew there was more to it than for someone to will a disease upon others but in Captain Pike's case, since he wasn't a native to Sobral, Ka'Noya had been both amazed and surprised that the man had in fact survived. He also knew that on Sobaya they feared the Curse to this day – they called it the touch of death – and he knew from colleagues that they'd had their share of cases over time that had similar characteristics to the virus from their past. Unfortunately, there was a lack of research and knowledge of the virus that made it hard to fully understand how it worked. Starfleet had done the impossible and come up with a solution by combining medicine and technology from several races and institutes around the Federation to save their people. Ka'Noya marveled at those methods and resources, secretly wishing they could apply for membership to this Federation at once.

As the captain walked up to him, Ka'Noya saw that Pike still looked tired and drawn, even though his eyes were filled with cunning mirth and kindness. "Healer," he said.

"Captain," Ka'Noya acknowledged.

"I would like to thank you for aiding us at the ground station, even though I understand you had other plans for us – me - in particular," he added unamused.

"As a man of medicine, even though I was a member of the truth-seekers, I don't like to take part in kidnappings of other people, but-" he trailed off and then dejectedly added. "-times seemed desperate and we needed to do something. Commander Nhan was right. We wanted to find you when we learned that you had returned, and force you to aid us, as a skilled negotiator. We didn't know you were a well-trained and highly skilled test-pilot as well, that was a bonus to learn about."

"You had plenty of chances to execute your plan. What made you change your mind?" Pike asked. There was no accusation behind his words, only curiosity.

"Several things," Ka'Noya admitted. "I didn't think you were going to make it and a hostage is no good dead, as you well know. Then, when the Glory Guards blew the tunnel to the vault and several of our colleagues lost their lives, I realized this was more dangerous than I first thought when we started this so-called history project."

They looked at each other for a moment in silence before Ka'Noya spoke up again. "It is I who should say thank you, Captain Christopher Pike," he finally said. "I am truly grateful it turned out this way."

"Me too actually," Pike replied with a faint smile on his lips. "What are you going to do now? If you don't mind me asking?"

The healer scratched his forehead and sighed. "I owe it to my people to return to my position as a leading medical man at the hospital in Santaan. My real name is Asha Eo."

"Then I wish you well and hope that you'll save many people in your line of work, Doctor Eo," Pike said as he turned to leave.

The doctor hesitated and then took a step to follow the captain. "I was wondering if there was any chance of making medical exchanges between our people?" he asked.

"Given the situation, I am sure that can be arranged," Pike answered diplomatically. "However, I am not the one you need to speak to. You should contact my CMO, Doctor Hugh Culber, he will be the one to make that decision, not me."

Doctor Eo bowed slightly. "Thank you, captain," he said.

Pike nodded and turned to leave for the second time. He sighed wearily as he walked out in the corridor and greeted a passing crewmember. His mind immediately started to deal with recent events while he walked the familiar stretch to the turbolift on autopilot.

Starfleet would without doubt launch an investigation about Commander Reno's actions on the planet Sobral. Her decision to have _Discovery_ target the infamous vault and blow it open with a deadly weapon. They were lucky the government of Sobral didn't immediately declare war with them. There would be questions about following the chain of command and how to interpret the Prime Directive in this case. Commander Saru, who was the one to authorize Commander Reno to use whatever means necessary to reach the vault, would come under scrutiny as well. He needed to prepare a plan of how to get them out of a possibly tricky situation, that was his duty as their captain in this case.

Pike was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't react at first when the door to the turbolift opened to reveal said commander and the world leaders of Sobaya and Sobral. He muttered a string of curses under his breath as he realized what was about to happen.

The Kelpien immediately tried to backtrack and stop the governor and the chancellor from getting into the lift, saying it was occupied, but it was too late. He sheepishly asked for silent forgiveness as he joined his superior officer in the lift.

"Captain Christopher Pike," La'co acknowledged. "I am pleasantly surprised to see you. It seems the rumors of your grave condition was exaggerated."

"Another cover up," Governor Esha pointed out. "I was under the impression that we were speaking to the highest-ranking officer onboard."

La'co turned apologetically to the Kelpien. "Thank you, Commander Saru, for your time. Your presence is no longer required. According to duty and tradition I insist that Captain Pike take over the investigation."

Pike's eyes darkened at the statement. "Commander Saru have done an excellent job, you should be able to realize that," he said curtly and debated whether or not he should bring it up but decided he should, if it could help Saru in any way. "I was dying, smitten by a disease you are very aware of, and if I am to guess, very afraid of."

"You survived the Sorabraya Curse," La'co asked in disbelief.

"Obviously," Pike replied sarcastically, his tone of voice colder than usual. "If there is proof you want, I am sure that can be arranged. Now, I accept this investigation but Commander Saru stays with me."

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	22. The Truth Unravels

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

_The Truth Unravels _

"…_but the strain caused (garbled)…virus…(garbled). The genetic makeup is complicated yet very brittle and easy to manipulate but one misstep can lead to tremendous despair. We (garbled)…never…(garbled)…immortality._

"The power cell is doing its job," Lelsey reported as he studied the tricorder before him; having scanned the small alien device.

"Is it possible?" Reno asked skeptically, looking from the CMO to the DNA specialist as she reflected upon what they'd just heard.

Hugh and Gaby shared a somewhat troubled look.

"Is it possible that this so called 'Sorabraya Curse' is the outcome of Sorabraya's genetic research?" Reno suggested. "The Golden Academy studied immortality by DNA manipulation – that is what she's trying to tell us - but something, obviously, went very wrong."

Gaby nodded. "Yes, Christopher Pike and Michael Burnham were both infected by a strain of a mutated virus which exist because of the genetic manipulation done by the scientists of Ichkamar."

Gaby turned to look at each person in the room as she continued to explain.

"First of all, you must understand that virus outbreaks have influenced our evolution through all times. It is an intriguing area of research, and horrible at the same time, because a virus doesn't know the word mercy. Your physical condition, the environmental exposure, genetic makeup and heritage decide whether or not you are strong enough to survive. Parts of the human genome consists of retrovirus – a leftover from long-forgotten viral outbreaks amongst a population. Think of virus as a specialist – a particularly well-trained student who, through a lot of hard work and experiments, have turned into a master manipulator of the host cells."

Hugh smiled as he looked at the DNA specialist. "The short answer to all this is that there isn't a single mutation that can prevent the DNA damage to the extent that immortality can be achieved," he said.

"But Sorabraya and her colleagues at the Golden Academy-," Lesley broke off, interrupted by the swoosh of the sliding door.

The occupants already in the room shared a mixed look of concern, suspicion and surprise as Captain Pike, clad in sweatpants and a long-sleeved standard undershirt, walked up to them. He, in turn, was closely followed by Commander Saru and the two alien world leaders.

"Please take a seat," Pike said politely to the chancellor and governor.

While the captain had the aliens' attention Culber discreetly took the XO aside. "Saru," he said in a subdued voice. "I know Doctor Pollard released Captain Pike earlier, on one condition, and that was that he promised to rest in his quarters. I did not certify him fit for any kind of duty. He's been deadly sick."

Saru raised his hand a little to hush the doctor. "It was unavoidable. I did not know that the captain had been released and currently on his way back to his quarters when I was relocating here with the governor and the chancellor. As soon as they saw Captain Pike, I was practically useless as a negotiator and diplomat. The only reason I am still here is because the captain requested my presence."

Culber pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure as he looked from Saru to Pike and then back again. "The Sobayan's and Sobralian's ridiculous respect for the chain of command," he muttered.

"I am sorry, doctor," Saru apologized. "There is nothing I can do. If it is to any consolation, Captain Pike didn't appear very amused either."

La'co studied the hologram of the woman named Sorabraya intently for a moment, trying to come to terms with the fact that she had once been a real person; a scientist.

"Since Doctor Button is here, I believe you have something intriguing to tell the rest of us," Pike said kindly with a faint smile.

Gaby's eyes twinkled as she nodded at him. "You are quite right, sir," she replied. "In their aim to increase the population rate and to keep experts in various fields alive longer, the Golden Academy created a mutation which, when interacting with a planet bound Sobralian virus, did the opposite; it began to break down the human genome, unraveling and rewriting the base code for DNA.

"The touch of death," La'co whispered eerily.

"It can be reversed," Pike pointed out.

La'co turned to him, studying the captain for a moment, as if trying to deduce if the man was real or a figment of his imagination. The chancellor pointed a shaky finger at Pike. "This must be some kind of trick."

Doctor Culber decided to take advantage of the situation and walked over to his superior officer with a medical tricorder in hand, eliciting a somewhat annoyed look from Pike for a fleeting moment. "I'd say he's very much alive, chancellor," the doctor offered and then focused his attention on the captain. "With all due respect, sir. You need to-,"

"Thank you, doctor," Pike replied quickly, he didn't need to be reminded about the fact that he shouldn't be on duty.

"I do not understand," Governor Esha began. "If she knew what they had created was lethal and killing everyone in it's path. Why did the Ichkamarians seal the vault? The knowledge they possessed about this thing got lost to the people."

"There is another reason for the vault to be sealed," Reno said as a chill went down her spine. "It contains specimens of the virus strand."

Pike momentarily froze at hearing the engineer calmly state something that could mean a possible ship-wide contamination. "Captain to bridge," he said seriously. "Blue alert, effective immediately, medical/environmental health issues. Stand by for further instructions."

"_Blue alert, effective immediately,"_ Detmer replied without delay.

Pike watched as the lighting above their heads suddenly shifted to a glow of blue light and heard the general call for senior officers to take their stations.

"_Commander Saru, please report to the bridge, immediately,"_ Detmer said over the open ship-wide communications channel.

Pike nodded firmly at the Kelpien, indicating that he should leave. "Explain the situation, have the away team report their condition."

"Yes, sir," Saru replied.

Pike studied Culber for a moment and then nodded to his XO. "Alert Doctor Pollard of the situation, Specialist Button, you are dismissed. Please join Pollard's team without further delay."

"Right away, captain," she responded and quickly left the room.

Culber looked torn between staying and leave as he looked from Button's back to Pike who sat in a chair, leaning forward over the table in order to pick up a data tablet. "Captain?" Hugh asked curiously.

"You will remain here, doctor, in case there are any further explanations on the recording about this virus," he reasoned. "This is not an airborne contagion – if it was – the entire landing party would have been affected. Logic would suggest that in modern age it requires the host to be, either directly infected, like Commander Burnham and I, or that the host has a severely weakened immune system."

Culber nodded. "The captain is right, a scenario in which this contagion would spread amongst the crew of _Discovery_ is almost non-existent but we are better off safe than sorry," he explained.

"You think that the original strain of this virus, if found in the vault, could present dangers of unknown proportions?" Reno guessed; used to doctor reasoning as she'd recently served on a medical ship.

"By that statement I'd assume you think that whatever strain the captain and commander was infected with was a lesser form of the Sorabraya Curse," Ta'Lotti guessed.

"Well, they couldn't have gotten it from the vault," Reno replied.

"Captain?" Tilly asked as she walked through the door of engineering. "What is going on?"

"All in due time, ensign," Pike informed calmly and redirected his attention to Governor Esha. "Maybe you should answer the unspoken question," he said coldly. "Where did you find the contagion?"

The Sobayan chancellor turned to his counterpart in disbelief.

Esha met his eyes squarely from where she sat across the table. "The Glory Guard section posted at Sobral and the military contingent have long searched for something to defeat possible enemies with," she explained as she cast a nonchalant glance at La'co. "It started centuries ago, when Sobaya and Sobral started to distinguish themselves from each other. Just because we were the smaller planet, we weren't a lesser force."

Culber sadly placed an elbow on the table and let his head come to rest at the palm of his hand while he shook his head and closed his eyes.

"You wanted to keep the tale alive," Pike deduced darkly. "You tried to replicate this deadly contagion to keep yourself in a high-power position."

"We were ready for a test," she finally admitted. "We originally thought we'd try it out on the irritating group called the Truth-Seekers. The Glory Guards dispatched and got into position for an ambush but suddenly we received word that there was another, more intriguing, target on Sobral."

Pike set his jaw, his genuinely warm and kind eyes had turned to ice.

"Facial reconstruction and recognition techniques, combined with the registration of a starship in our vicinity, led to the conclusion that you – or at least someone that matched your profile to 90 percent – had taken the liberty of transporting down to the surface of Sobral. You were allied with Sobaya two years ago, naturally you were a much more formidable enemy."

Tilly raised her hand to her mouth in astonishment at the revelation. "Oh, my goodness," she mumbled. "You knew-,"

Pike nodded, not the least amused. "I had an interesting conversation with Doctor Eo before he left this ship," he explained coldly. "It seems that they tried to warn us off – unfortunately they were too late."

Tilly's interest peaked as she straightened and turned her attention solely on her superior officer. "What? Who? And why did he say that?" she asked perplexed. "I suppose it makes sense. The Truth-Seekers were the ones who tried to copy the _Galileo _\- with the help of a few Glory Guards – they wanted to kidnap us – I mean, you."

Pike leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "The Truth-Seekers followed us, up until that moment, when we beamed back onboard_ Discovery_," he explained. "In the hopes of offering aid and then lure us into a trap."

"I must say you are a charming people," Reno drawled. "Pardon my bluntness but if that's the way you treat others you don't need to be worried about a return from our side."

"Commander Reno," the captain said kindly yet there was a note of warning in his soft tone of voice that instantly told the engineer to back off.

Doctor Culber carefully studied his captain from a slight distance, there were no actual outward signs of distress or fatigue but from a medical point of view, he knew that this was taking an unnecessary toll on Pike. He was afraid that it might set back the recovery time unless he got his superior to rest.

"Would you have released that thing onto the population of Sobaya?" Chancellor La'co pushed, glaring at Governor Esha.

At that she said nothing.

La'co only took her silence for confirmation. "If it is war you seek then you shall get it," he seethed.

"No," Pike said sharply. "You are going to work together and solve your issues – you can start by telling the rest of your people about their real origin. That you are all from the planet Ichkamar. I think it is time that you start to deal with your problems instead of pretending they aren't there."

He now had their undivided attention. "You were offered help from the Federation two years ago but you declined and if this is how you are going to treat us and each other in the future – then you are on your own. I will recommend that this area of space is to be avoided."

He looked at Esha and then La'co, his eyes cold as ice; gone was the soft side of the diplomatic captain, replaced by the face of a soldier, a military strategist devoid of emotions. "That was what you wanted in the first place – was it not? To mind your own business."

"Captain," La'co began sheepishly. "You cannot turn your back on us now."

"I am tired of arguing back and forth and I am growing increasingly exasperated of your lies and illicit deeds," he said through clenched teeth. "If you are not interested in getting our help or to understand your own history, then you can leave my ship – effective immediately."

Tilly found herself holding her breath.

When no one said anything, Pike finally nodded. "I thought so," he mused. "I will only help you further if you allow for us to trade dilithium crystals for our propulsion system."

"We must power the cities," Esha protested. "They've always been powered that way."

"But you don't know how?" Reno guessed. "Because that's a configuration made by your ancestors."

"Captain, you are our only hope of finding out what happened to the Ichkamarians and hopefully you can help us understand their technology," La'co reasoned. "Deposits of dilithium are very rare on Sobaya but they exist. Dispatch a team and I'll have the best miners assist them upon arrival," he suggested.

Pike didn't show his smugness, he only nodded as he leaned forward in his chair. "Thank you, chancellor," he said and focused on the senior engineer. "Commander Reno, Lieutenant Lesley you will leave immediately. Lieutenant Barnes and a security detail will accompany you. Notify Commander Saru of your departure."

The engineers practically scrambled out of the room, leaving only the two aliens, Captain Pike, Linguistic specialist Ta'Lotti, Doctor Culber and Ensign Tilly in the room.

The captain's features softened, the ever present slight upward curl to his lips back on his face, as he took turn to carefully study the faces of those left in the room with him. "So," he began diplomatically. "Specialist Ta'Lotti, would you do the honors and let Sorabraya explain her actions."

"_It began to feel crowded at the northern continent so we spread out over the surface of Sobral, populating most of it. However, rebuilding societies takes time, a lot of time and there were many obstacles to overcome. The weather was challenging at times, we had never seen such erratic weather seasons such as Sobral threw at us. There were heavy thunderclaps, beasty waves on the oceans and storms that sometimes rivalled those on Ichkamar. _

_Even though the age of those who'd reached the Sobada Star System where widely dispersed and diverse we had a problem with growth and population expansion. The council was worried and genetic science increased in the hopes of finding a way to prolong our lifespan, to give us more time." _

"This is about as far as we've come," Ta'Lotti said. "It has taken us a few reruns to get everything translated so, with that said, be aware everything might not make sense the first time you hear it."

Pike nodded as Ta'Lotti once again let Sorabraya speak up.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	23. One Final Revelation

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

_One Final Revelation_

Nhan looked around in amazement as they stepped into the vault. "It's like stepping into another world," she said. "All this time…"

"All this time it has been sitting here, waiting to be discovered," Spock said as he activated his tricorder and walked over to, what appeared to be, the main console table.

"This must be where Rhys found the hologram," Nhan said as she spotted a round hole in a console table situated at the back of the spacious room. The instruments appeared to have been wiped clean of dust and grime, the blank, black surface was glimmering in the faint light from above.

"The material composition is interesting," Spock remarked as he studied the readouts on his tricorder.

"Everything is overwhelming," Ka'Saa said, as he glanced around the room. "To finally see what's inside this vault is-," he trailed off and shook his head.

"We thought it was sealed to protect some old scrolls. Never in our wildest dreams could we imagine that it contained something like this," Ka'Lock stated.

OOOOOO

"_Our reproduction numbers didn't increase the way we needed it too in order to get societies to function and flourish around our new world. There have always been a kind of obsession, if you like, to be able to live longer; perhaps even forever. Tests on living specimens in which you alter DNA, regrow tissue and reconfigure organs have long been controversial and, not to mention, banned centuries ago. However, after a long and lively debate, the Golden Academy received the all clear to try and prolong the life of specialists amongst our people so that valuable knowledge would remain longer within the population. _

_Over time, life-span was increasing, my own included, but not as much as we would have hoped. The research set off a series of events that led to an upcoming disaster. The germs and viruses on Sobral reacted with our specimens. At the time we didn't know it but the strain caused major failures within the host body, organ fallout and so on. The virus spread like a wildflower, infecting the population. The genetic makeup is complicated yet very brittle and easy to manipulate but one misstep can lead to tremendous despair. We thought we had contained it - had it isolated - so that it would be prevented from reaching out. Unfortunately, we were wrong. It unraveled the very fabric of life, created mutations with character traits unknown to us. We got caught in a downward spiral of events that we never foresaw. All this because of our desire to find immortality." _

"_When I tell you this, whoever you might be, my days are numbered. I can only hope that someday in the near future there is a way to stop this and that it isn't too late for the native population whom we've never met. We never wished to bring this upon others." _

Sorabraya shimmered out of existence, leaving a room full of astounded people behind.

Culber looked uncomfortable as he leaned forward in his chair. "In their desire to create eternal life they managed to merge a virus and several DNA mutations which in turn led to one, of what I can only assume to be one, of the deadliest plagues the Ichkamarians had ever experienced," he summarized darkly.

Pike turned to level his eyes with the CMO's. "Obviously the natives survived and so did a handful of the Ichkamarians as well, judging by what we've found here," he stated.

OOOOOO

Reno let out a low whistle as they silently approached the surface of Sobaya. "Looks like paradise all over," she remarked. "I thought we were going to a heavily polluted mining facility."

Lesley shrugged. "Maybe they grow dilithium on the trees of Babylon?" he said with a smirk.

"Engineers," Barnes muttered under his breath as he steered the _Copernicus_ closer to the surface. "Okay, let's hope we aren't in for an ambush when we park and get out of this thing."

"Security," Reno drawled as she shook her head.

"It's my job to be suspicious," Barnes replied with a twinkle in his eyes as he glanced over his shoulder. He activated the communications panel and made contact with ground control. "This is Starfleet shuttle _Copernicus _requesting to land."

There was a small delay, then came a steady woman's voice over the channel. _"You are cleared to land, Copernicus. We welcome you by the half of Chancellor La'co,"_ she said.

"That is suspicious to me," Reno remarked as the call terminated. "Her voice was far too pleasant."

Barnes rolled his eyes.

"Everyone ready?" Lesley asked.

"Yes, sir," the security contingent chorused.

"I am ready too, lieutenant, but I won't call you, sir," Reno said with slight amusement.

"I won't mind, _sir_," Lesley replied with a smirk, emphasizing the word sir.

"Let's do this nice and easy and make sure we don't waste any time. We need to get out here as soon as possible and get back to _Enterprise_," Reno said. "She has been waiting for _Discovery_ to arrive for too long already."

OOOOOO

Sorabraya looked pained as she paused and clasped her hands in front of her. She seemed to gather herself before she spoke up again.

"_I feel I have left out part of the explanation. We learned of a small village, filled with people who'd evaded our advanced scans of the planet when we first got to Sobral. Our sensors had trouble reaching into the caverns of the mountains to the south of what was to become our capital city -Santaan. We deduced that the villagers took cover at nights and that they probably felt anxiety and fear, seeing us settle in and build cities. We visited the village at times to try and talk to them but we never saw them, we decided never to venture inside the realms of the caverns in the mountain. They probably reasoned that if we didn't hurt them, they wouldn't trouble us. We didn't know their names, what language they spoke or what they called this planet so we began to call it the village of Sa'bra'lo." _

Tilly looked stunned for a moment and turned to Pike to see his reaction but he had a poker face at the moment. The ensign couldn't keep quiet. "Sa'bra'lo," she echoed.

"Like the western movies," the captain stated and genuinely surprised her.

Tilly blushed slightly as she remembered what she'd said. "I am so sorry," she managed. "Me babbling again."

Culber and Ta'Lotti shared a look of confusion, wondering what had really happened down on the planet.

"That's how they started to question their heritage and their history," Tilly reasoned. "They saw the paintings on the rocks and caves made by those – those ka'pa'rans."

"There is one thing you need to explain to me," Pike said as he leaned forward in his chair to look at the governor and then the chancellor in turn. "How did you know the scientist's name?"

"Perhaps there is some truth in what your second in command tried to tell us earlier," Governor Esha mused. "Maybe there is some truth behind every telltale."

Pike frowned, not knowing what his Kelpien XO had said.

Chancellor La'co came to his aid. "He mentioned that there might be some truth behind the story the Truth-Seekers tried to present to the population. We now know they were right. My guess is that, somehow, the ka'pa'rans at a time in our very distant past, overheard the name from the Ichkamarian scout parties. They misinterpreted whom she was and thought she was a God most likely."

Tilly nodded. "Yeah, and then, when people started dying, they thought she had gotten angry and punished the newcomers of their planet," she said excitingly.

OOOOOO

Nhan placed her right hand against the rocky surface of the wall of the vault. It was almost as if she felt the history beneath her fingertips. She held a portable scanner in her left hand and didn't know how many scans, how much data, she had acquired during the last few hours since they'd arrived. Simply put, it was an astounding place to be at. She made it to the back of the large room and tripped on something smooth and round that stood up from the floor, raised only by a fraction of an inch. The Barzan knelt next to it and frowned.

Spock cocked an eyebrow in fascination. In his periphery vision he saw Commander Nhan kneeling next to something and in the next minute she was scanned by something, then gone. "Interesting," stated as he made his way over.

"Where is Commander Nhan?" Ka'Saa asked worriedly.

"It would appear that she was transported somewhere," Spock deduced.

"But-," Ka'Lock began dumbfounded. "She's not from here. Doesn't one need the genetic code of an Ichkamarian to be recognized by the system?"

Spock remained silent for a moment; thinking. "Perhaps this particular device had no software restrictions," he finally suggested. "No one else knew about this place but a handful of scientists."

"How do we get her back?" Ka'Saa asked.

Spock studied the transporter pad curiously, then he took notice of his readings on the scanner and tapped away at the small control unit. After a few trial and error runs the Barzan reappeared.

"Are you all right, commander?" Spock asked.

Nhan took a deep breath and placed a hand on her chest while she exhaled. "That's what they meant by rediscovering the transporters," she said. "It's technology from Ichkamar. They must have used teleportation to travel between the planets."

"Are you sure you were transported to Sobaya?" Spock asked.

Nhan nodded.

"The government claimed they had invented teleportation technology," Ka'Lock volunteered as he stepped closer. "Even if that was a lie, do you mean to tell me they had access to this place the whole time?"

Spock shook his head. "I do not think so. This particular station is off the grid and can only be accessed from here. If I am to 'guess' I would say that it is a failsafe built in as they sealed the vault. It is not possible to beam here unless you have first attempted to beam out of here, which is what Commander Nhan accidentally did."

Ka'Lock and Ka'Saa shared a skeptical look.

"Have you seen any of these, slightly upraised, black, round-shaped platforms somewhere else?" Spock asked the two aliens.

"Not many," Ka'Saa answered. "On Sobral they can be found at Santaan's main transportation hub from which it is possible to travel to Sobaya. However, they are seldom used by anyone except for the Glory Guards."

"There are others," Ka'Lock added. "But they don't work. Personally, I thought they were art of some kind, a leftover from the old days. I didn't realize they had the exact same function as the ones at the hub that are still in use. You see, I never would have thought…our history was this advanced."

Nhan managed a smile. "That is quite understandable," she said softly. Let's see what we discover next."

OOOOOO

Standing in the transporter room, Captain Pike exhaled deeply as the governor and chancellor shimmered out of existence. He was tired, his head hurt and his throat was dry as he leaned back against the wall.

Guessing his discomfort, Culber kindly placed a hand on his shoulder as he gently ran the medical tricorder over him. "I had my reasons for not allowing you back on active duty," he said softly.

"I am sorry, doctor, but the moment Commander Saru walked into the same turbolift, my choice in the matter was limited," he said.

"_Sickbay to transporter room,"_ came a general call over the communications system.

The captain pushed a button on the wall behind him. "Pike here," he said.

"_Captain, it's Doctor Pollard. I was told both you and Doctor Culber was in the transporter room." _

They nodded at each other. "We are," Pike confirmed.

"_I have good news, sir. We have no contagion onboard, the ship is clean,"_ she reported.

"Thank you, doctor," he said with relief.

"_Even if there had been, we have plenty of material and even an antidote to stop it from spreading,"_ Tracy reasoned. _"Do you have any objections if I call it DNA coded immune disease 101 instead of the Sorabraya Curse? It is the label used when reporting it to Starfleet Medical." _

Pike actually chuckled at that. "Whatever you see fit, doctor," he replied. "Transporter room out."

Culber retrieved a hypo from the small medical bag he was caring with him at the moment, then pulled out an ampule from a box and placed it in the injector with a click. "Tilt your head slightly upwards, sir," he ordered his superior officer.

Pike dutifully did what he was told. "What's in that thing?" he asked, his voice a little weary and skeptical.

"Something to take your pain away but I must caution you, it'll only last for an hour or two, after that you really need to rest properly," his CMO said seriously.

"Thank you," Pike said sincerely.

OOOOOO

_To be continued _


	24. Back to the Enterprise

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

_Back to the Enterprise_

Reno cautiously stepped out of the shuttle and frowned as she noticed a stern looking Kelpien waiting for them. She took a deep breath and boldly set out to meet him. "Huh, commander," she acknowledged. "Am I in some kind of trouble?" she asked as they hadn't really talked her actions through.

He shook his head. "No, commander, but next time I authorize using any means necessary, I will put in some restrictions."

Reno smirked. "Then it's not going to be_ any_ means necessary," she pointed out and then tilted her head upwards to give him a nod. "So, we're good?"

Saru nodded back, his nod much more thoughtful and diplomatic than the short, cocky nod he'd gotten from the engineer. He then looked over her shoulder to nod at Lesley, Barnes and the small security contingent, to acknowledge their presence. "I take it the mission was a success?"

Lieutenant Lesley smiled. "The raw dilithium is in excellent condition. It is almost pure oar and shouldn't take long to refine and adapt," he reported. "I would like to get going right away."

Saru nodded. "By all means lieutenant," he said.

"We had no trouble at Sobaya," Barnes said. As the highest-ranking security officer next to Commander Nhan it had been his responsibility to keep the others safe.

"That is good to know, lieutenant," Saru replied. "I am glad Chancellor La'co kept his word."

"Are they gone?" Reno asked curiously. "Or are they still roaming our corridors, pestering the captain?"

"Commander," Saru cautioned calmly.

Reno waited for him to answer.

He resigned. While she was a brilliant engineer, she lacked some diplomatic skills in her toolbox. "They left approximately an hour ago, eager to find their true origin, although I believe it to be a lengthy and trying path before they get there."

"So, is Starfleet going to send help?" Reno wanted to know. "Diplomats, scientists-,"

"Eventually," Saru replied. "However, it is a long way to travel from the base in San Francisco."

"Yeah," the engineer remarked. "They're probably going to send a constitution class ship, sleek and elegant but sturdy as a bull."

Barnes frowned as he turned to look, first at Reno, then at Saru. "Do you think they'd send Captain Pike and the_ Enterprise_ once she sets out again?"

Saru shook his head. "While it would be a logical assumption and perhaps a wise decision to do so, I believe it will fall into Captain Roberts hands to bring the _USS Pegasus_ there," he reasoned.

"The next best thing then," Reno stated. "What are we waiting around here for by the way? I have a warp core to nurse back to health."

OOOOOO

"Captain?" Owo and Detmer chorused as he stepped onto the bridge, clad in a fresh uniform.

Rhys and Bryce shared a look of concern.

"It's good to have you back up here, sir," Nilsson said with a smile.

"Thank you, lieutenant, it is good to be back," he replied softly as he sat down in his chair, looking as radiant as ever, even if it was only a charade at the moment. "Unfortunately, I won't stay long. Lieutenant Bryce, have there been any suspicious activity on any of the monitored channels?"

"Negative, sir," he reported.

Pike nodded. "Good. It is time to bring back our people," he said and opened a channel to the team on Sobral.

"_Discovery to away team,"_ Pike's voice came over the communications channel, surprising both Spock and Nhan.

Nhan reached for her communicator. "_Discovery_, away team responding," she said softly. "Captain, it's good to hear your voice."

"_Thank you, commander,"_ he replied kindly. _"I regret to inform you that we're running out of time. You are the last ones to return to the ship." _

Ka'Saa and Ka'Lock shared a glance and nodded with a mixture of sadness and joy toward the Starfleet officers.

"We are in your debt," Ka'Lock said. "This would not have been possible without your help."

"Please, make the most of it," Nhan replied with a faint smile. "Make sure history will never be forgotten this time."

"You have our promises," Ka'Saa assured her.

"Captain," Spock said into his communicator. "We have downloaded everything we can during this limited timeframe but I believe it will ensure a lot of work for our historians, anthropologists and xenobiologists for at least a year."

'If we live that long'," Nhan thought as she remembered the threat of the AI waiting for them.

"_Understood, lieutenant,"_ Pike said. _"Ka'Saa and Ka'Lock, I know you are listening in. Thank you for your invaluable cooperation." _

"Like I said, Captain Pike, it is we who should say thank you," Ka'Lock insisted. "We wish you well and hope that you will be as successful in defeating your enemy as you were uncovering Sobrals secrets."

"We will leave now, captain," Nhan reported. "Estimated time of arrival in fifteen minutes."

"_Thank you, Discovery out." _

Christopher Pike gingerly made it out of his chair and glanced around the room. "Lieutenant Detmer, I'll leave the bridge in your capable hands once more," he said. "Report to Commander Saru if you notice anything out of the ordinary."

"Yes, sir," she said.

"He looks tired," Owo said as the door slid shut behind the captain.

"If I were him, considering what he's been through, I wouldn't even make it out of bed," Detmer reasoned.

OOOOOO

"_Bridge to Commander Saru," _Bryce said over the open channel.

"Commander Saru here," he acknowledged.

"_Sir,"_ Bryce said, _"I have Commander Stamets on the line for you."_

"Patch him through," the Kelpien said as he overlooked the vast hanger deck and saw the incoming shuttle on a distant approach.

"_Commander,"_ Paul Stamets said. _"The phenomena is gone. I will do a series of system checks just to be sure but we should be able to navigate the Mycelial Network safely within a few hours."_

"That is good news, commander," the Kelpien XO replied. "_Phoenix_ is approaching as we speak. As soon as she's docked, we are all accounted for. Commander Reno and the rest of the engineers are hard at work trying to refine and calibrate the dilithium crystals to our warpcore."

"_Noted, I'll assist them shortly as well,"_ Stamets replied as he switched off.

OOOOOO

Unable to help himself Pike made a beeline for his ready room, to read up on a few things. He went through the doors and unzipped his uniform jacket just as he heard the bell chime. "Come," he said.

The door opened to reveal a smiling Michael Burnham. "I actually hoped I wouldn't find you here," she said.

"I won't be long. I'm just going to forward a few reports to my quarters," he let on. "I wasn't expecting to see you in a uniform either, commander?"

"Like you, I needed to bring myself up to speed," she reasoned softly as she watched him input a few commands on a console integrated in his desk.

He nodded at her and gestured for the door. They both exited the room and headed for the turbolift.

"Captain," she began curiously. "Do you think there is anything left of Ichkamar?"

He shrugged as they stepped into the lift. "Deck three," he commanded and then turned his attention to his science officer. "I don't know, commander."

"I can't explain it but I find it alluring," she said in a subdued voice.

"Right now, the AI is my top-priority," he replied. "But I was going to put together some material to Number One. If Ichkamar is still out there, there is a chance the _Enterprise_ can reach it."

"We still don't know what their ships looked like, what configuration they had or what their cruising speed was," Michael said. "We haven't been able to find any ship logs or anything that might be able to point us in the right direction."

"Sometimes the whispers of the past have a way to reach modern society anyway," Pike pointed out softly.

Michael was quiet for a moment, then she looked at him curiously. "Do you hear the whispers of the Araxians, sir?" she asked carefully.

He sighed wearily and nodded. "At times, yes," he admitted.

"Arax VI is so far away from known Federation space that not even an entire five-year-mission at a cruising altitude of warp nine would reach it," she stated dejectedly. "What if Ichkamar lies beyond the rim of the Gamma Quadrant? You would never find it."

"In Starfleet we learn to expect the unexpected, Burnham," he said cunningly. "Do we not?"

She smiled at that. "Absolutely, sir."

"All I am saying is that the Ichkamarian's were a highly advanced people. Who knows what kind of speed those ships were capable off? Look at the probe the Araxians modified. It travelled at a speed more than ten times faster than warp nine. The Federation might be advanced but it may also be antique in comparison to others."

She nodded at that. "You're right."

"What if Ichkamar belongs to a system at the rim of the Alpha Quadrant?" he suggested. "What if they set out – not toward us – but away from us?"

She looked at him seriously, realizing what he was suggesting. "Then it is possible that Ichkamar lies much closer to the Federation than we think," she replied.

He nodded. "Like I said. I'll put some material together and hand it over to Number One. Knowing her, she'd delve into it, take it apart and come up with a suggestion within a few hours."

"You miss her," Michael deduced. "And you miss your ship."

He leveled his blue eyes with hers and studied her with warmth for a moment. "You should know that every ship and crew have their own trademark, their own culture and their own personality. I have seen you grow – all of you – I've seen you come together to try and solve this mystery with the seven red signals in a commendable way. I have you for loan and I am proud to have had the privilege of leading you these last couple of months. _Discovery_ will always be special to me, so will you, commander."

She bowed her head slightly and when she tilted her head upwards to look at him again, she had a fond smile on her lips. "When the time comes, we will miss you, captain."

He broke into a dimpled smile at that. "But you won't get rid of me just yet," he said. "How is it coming with the spore drive?"

"Commander Stamets is running a full system check. He expects the spore drive hub to be up and running early tomorrow morning," she sighed. "When we get there – to the rendezvous coordinates - we're still going to evacuate the ship, huh?"

He grimaced. "Like you said; I don't think there is any other way. The AI must not be allowed to get to the sphere data. I'll join you on the bridge before the jump."

"Are you sure you're up to that?" she asked, her voice carrying an undertone of concern.

"I will be there, commander," he assured her seriously.

OOOOOO

_The End _

_A/N: And then begins the episode "Such Sweet Sorrow pt1". This will be my last Discovery story. I am 'teaming up' with Captain Pike onboard the Enterprise. The next adventure will therefore take place onboard the flagship and feature Spock, Una, Boyce and the rest of Pike's crew. _

_Thank you, lovely people, for your feedback, your thoughts and your patience while following this story. I really hope you have enjoyed it. I would be delighted to know! _


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